In re Robin
by Xenitha
Summary: After the extent of Robin's injuries from Harvey Dent comes out, Child Protective Services decides to save Robin from a vigilante lifestyle. Follow up to Robin, Year One.
1. Prologue

Title : In Re Robin Doe Prologue

Author : Xenith

Disclaimer : All characters belong to DC Comics, except for any original characters created by me. No copyright infringement is intended and if you want me to take it down, just let me know.

Rating: i.e.: R for violence

Story Synopsis: After the extent of Robin's injuries caused by Harvey Dent comes out, Child Protective Services decides to save Robin from a vigilante lifestyle. Follow up to Robin, Year One.

Thanks: Many thanks to Char, PJ, Chrysexanthe and Beden for reference help and beta.

Feedback: I love it and encourage it, either to this list or to my own e-mail () address. I write FASTER for feedback!

IN RE ROBIN Doe

Prologue

The batmobile screeched into the cave and pulled to a halt inches from Alfred, who had been busy dusting. The door slammed open and the Batman hauled himself out of the driver's seat with a torn and bloody Robin cradled in his arms.

"Sir?" Demanded the frightened butler, looking from the boy to Batman and back again.

"Alfred," Batman's low voice shook. "He's dying."

Ten minutes later, they were in a black van driving hell-bent for Gotham City.

"How's he doing, Alfred?" Bruce Wayne at the wheel asked. He was without his cowl, a gray coat thrown over his batsuit.

Alfred, in the back of the van, crouched over the boy strapped into a gurney. "The lad's bleeding has slowed…thank heavens. But his throat was closing off from the swelling. I had to intubate him." The old man gently pressed down on yet another bandage, this one on Master Dick's arm. "And I fear he may have internal injuries beyond my meager abilities to treat." Alfred anxiously looked up at Wayne. "How long do you estimate until we reach the hospital, Master Bruce?"

"We're not going to the hospital," Bruce replied and gunned the van even more. "We're going to Leslie's."

Dr. Leslie Thompkins met them at the doorway of the Gotham Free Clinic while they were lifting the gurney up the steps and followed them down the hall to the examination room. Batman and Alfred stood anxiously to one side while she began her exam.

"Your triage work is first rate…as usual," she said. "But this boy needs an emergency room, not a ghetto clinic."

"I share your diagnosis, Dr. Thompkins, though our mutual benefactor thinks otherwise," Alfred replied, with a side glance at Master Bruce. "After all, we have our secrets to preserve, do we not?"

Dr. Thompkins frowned, looking closer at the boy. "I'm already regretting my complicity in these 'secrets'…..Sweet Lord…." She turned toward Wayne. "Bruce, what in God's name happened to this boy? He looks like he's been through a thresher!" Wayne wouldn't meet her eyes, his gaze was fixed away from the boy on the table.

"Just take care of him, Leslie. Alfred will explain everything," he said softly and he began to move away.

"You're not leaving?" She grabbed his arm with a furious look.

"I'm sorry, I have to go…" Eyes still averted from Robin, Bruce inched toward the door. "I need to make sure the person who did this is made accountable."

"You have a responsibility to the lad," Alfred stated, standing directly in his path.

"I'm taking care of it," Bruce said flatly with a burning glance at the butler. He reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small camera, handing it to Alfred.

"Sir, you can't mean…" Alfred said, taken aback.

"Evidence has to be presented at trial, Alfred," Bruce said in the same flat tone. "You know that. I'll be back later; you saw Gordon's signal," he said over his shoulder, then disappeared out the clinic door.

EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER

Dick Grayson sat at the desk in his room, working on his homework. He paused, stretching his right arm over his head. He'd had full use of it again for a while, but it still twinged from time to time. He'd been out patrolling with Batman for the past four nights and, while Leslie said he was fit, he had to get back into the routine again. He leaned back in his chair and stifled a yawn. He also had to get used to the late nights again, too. Not that he minded.

He turned his head to look out the picture window at the park outside. His world had shattered into tiny pieces when Bruce took Robin away from him after Harvey Dent…No, that was all over now. Robin had finally brought Two Face down a week ago. Dent was in jail, where he couldn't hurt anybody. And Robin was back at Batman's side. After all, he thought to himself with a smile, somebody has to help him. It might as well be me.

Alfred quietly came in through the doorway, smiling fondly at the young master. "Master Dick, you are wanted in the Cave."

Dick's face lit up in a smile. "He's back?" He jumped out of the chair, slamming the textbook closed.

"Gently, young sir," Alfred called to the boy running past him. "Gentlemen do not rush.."

"Okay, Alfie," Dick called over his shoulder, then put on a burst of speed.

Robin found Batman seated in front of the computer station, looking thoughtfully at the screen.

"How did it go?" Robin demanded, running up to Batman's chair, dancing impatiently in place.

Batman gave his partner a half smile. "The preliminary hearing went just fine, as we expected. They've set a trial date for Harvey Dent, a month from now. We're one step closer to seeing him locked up for a very long time."

Robin let out a long, relieved breath. "I know you said he couldn't be released with all the evidence against him, but I was still worried."

Batman sat silently while Robin's enthusiastic voice ran down.

"What is it, Batman? What went wrong?" Robin asked.

"Do you remember how we discussed what the trial might be like?" Batman said gently, leaning forward in the chair. "How you might have to testify if you were needed?"

Robin stilled. "Yeah, but you said that if there was enough physical evidence they might not need me…."

Batman looked away from his young partner's eyes. "As it turns out, there were no fingerprints on the gallows handle that Harvey pulled to murder the judge. His accomplices have all taken the Fifth and refuse to testify; they're more afraid of Dent than of long prison terms. And Robin, I didn't see the murder. My face was covered at the time," Batman met his gaze with a concerned look. "Dent is also being charged with attempting to murder you, so you'll be needed to testify about that, too. I'm sorry, but it looks like it's up to you, partner."

Robin began to back away. "No, you said…I can't…"

Batman sighed and went to the boy, down on one knee in front of him, putting both hands on Robin's shoulders. "You brought him down, Robin. You, and nobody else. You faced him when it counted and you can do it again. You've testified in court before. This isn't new for you."

"I've testified in court before," Robin said unsteadily. "But not with _him_ there."

Batman suddenly realized that he often forgot that Robin wasn't an adult. This was the boy's own personal nightmare, come to life again. He reached forward and folded the boy into a hug, wrapping his cape around him. Robin held himself in a little ball against Batman's Kevlar-clad chest and asked in a small voice, "When will it be?"

The Batman rested his chin on top of the boy's head, holding him tight. "Four weeks. You won't be alone. I'll be there and you'll be safe. I promise. Then it'll be over," Batman said reassuringly. "Dent will be in prison and he won't be out again for a long, long time, if ever."

The intervening weeks were difficult for the entire Wayne household. The old nightmares that had plagued the boy after Harvey Dent's attack came nightly and Bruce began to question the wisdom of letting the boy testify. For Alfred, there was no question at all.

"Sir, you can't let him go to court," the butler said as he poured Bruce Wayne his morning coffee. Dick wasn't up yet. He was sleeping late after a series of nightmares had left the boy wide awake and trembling in his bed. Alfred should know, he'd sat with him, plying him with cups of hot milk and cocoa.

Bruce looked up, tiredness and worry dragging down his face. "Do you think I don't know that? But there's no alternative. Dick is the only one who actually witnessed the murder. If he isn't there, Two-Face will walk. What safety is there for Robin then?"

"But surely, since Dent has already confessed, his presence isn't necessary?" Alfred replied, setting the coffee pot down on the trivet.

Bruce shook his head. "Not enough. His attorney is already disputing the confession, saying the Miranda warnings weren't given correctly. Even if it does get in, without physical evidence to back it up, a jury could still be persuaded to find him not guilty." He wrapped his big hands around the china coffee cup with a sigh. "We're backed into a corner. I don't know this Deputy Attorney General very well, but she's adamant that Dick has to testify." He took a sip. "It's bad enough that Dick witnessed the murder, but she'll also be taking him through the details of the attack to establish the attempted murder charge." His eyes hardened. "I can testify to what I saw, and save Dick most of it, but not all. And they want Leslie there, too."

Alfred sat down abruptly at the table. "But sir, your identity.."

Bruce shook his head. "I've already spoken to Leslie. The records were kept with Dick's name simply as 'Robin'. They can go in as-is. Officially, we went to Leslie's clinic because it's quiet and out of the way," Bruce's smile was a grimace. "She's also the best damned doctor I've ever met. Oh, and one more thing," Bruce glanced up at Alfred's face. "They're asking for DNA."

"Whose?" Alfred queried, beyond all surprise by now.

"Robin's. Can you take him to the Gotham Crime Lab today? Ask for Cindy Garcia, she's the criminalist in charge of the case. They already have the photos and Robin's uniform," Bruce finished the coffee and pushed aside his uneaten breakfast. "I'd better get going. I've got a meeting. Dick can miss school today if he's not well."

Alfred shook his head. "No sir, after the..er… DNA test, I'll take him to school. He needs as much distraction as possible just now." He picked up Bruce's plate and held it up to his employer. "And it would do you good to have something to eat this morning, sir."

Bruce half smiled and picked up a piece of toast, taking a bite. "You take good care of us both, Alfred. I'll call later and see how things went." He picked up his suit-jacket and left the room, munching on his piece of toast.

Alfred watched him go, then set his shoulders to wake the Young Master.


	2. The Trial of Harvey Dent

CHAPTER ONE—THE TRIAL OF HARVEY DENT

TWO DAYS BEFORE HARVEY DENT'S TRIAL

"What do you mean you don't want Robin to testify?" an aghast Deputy Attorney General, Marya Hayes cried. "Robin is our star witness!" She was young, blonde and currently pacing in agitation across the office.

"That's not what I'm asking," Batman replied stolidly, his presence looming over the petite DAG. "I see no reason to expose Robin to this media circus any more than necessary," Batman said stoically to his audience of DAG and Captain Gordon from the Gotham Police. "I want him to testify only as to Dent's guilt or innocence. Let the evidence describe Dent's attack on him, not the boy's testimony."

"Are you more concerned with protecting the boy, or yourself?" Gordon said quietly. "It seems to me, you weren't terribly forthcoming about your partner's injuries at the time, especially since I had warned you about what would happen if the boy got hurt."

"I'm protecting Robin, of course," Batman said. "The memories of the events have been...difficult...for him. I'd prefer that he be able to leave the past behind.." Batman crossed his arms across his chest. "You will have my testimony about what happened to him. You don't need Robin."

"Well, uh…Batman…here's the problem," said Hayes, her blue eyes flashing. "Now, Gotham isn't my town. Judge Simmons and I are just here because you have an ex-DA murdering a County Judge. To avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, you need an outsider to prosecute and another one to preside over this trial." She moved in toward Batman. "If Gotham allows costumed vigilantes to assist the sworn police in fighting crime, then it is understood that those vigilantes will make themselves available to testify as witnesses, in whatever capacity is necessary, regardless of age. Otherwise, YOU become part of the problem," she tapped Batman's chest with a trimly manicured finger. "You can't have it both ways."

"And, in any case, Batman," Gordon added pacifically. "You don't want Dent to escape punishment for what he did to the boy, do you? And while your testimony alone might be good enough to convict Dent, you must admit that Robin's will make the jury throw the key away when it comes to sentencing."

Batman hesitated, pondering, his arms folded across his chest. Sure, Robin had testified before in minor cases where he wasn't a victim. He'd acquitted himself well and Batman was proud of him. But ever since Batman had been given the subpoena for Robin's testimony, he'd worried about his young partner's reaction to testifying in this case. For the past month, Dick had awakened screaming almost every night. Bruce and Alfred had taken turns sitting with him. Still, what choice did they have? Robin needed Dent locked away to feel safe. And Batman thirsted for justice after what Dent had done to Robin.

"All right," Batman said in a low voice. "I'll concede that. Another alternative is to take Robin's testimony outside the presence of Dent but shown to him via video feed. I've heard of this being done in some child abuse cases."

Hayes sighed. "Yes, I've seen it done, too. But, the confrontation clause of the Constitution allows a defendant to be directly confronted by an accuser, not remotely. I've never heard of this option being used in this state, but I'll try. I can't give you any promises, though. The fact remains that Robin is not a vulnerable abused child but a vigilante who puts himself out as a crime-fighter in Gotham." Unspoken was the next sentence, 'and YOU put him in that position'.

Batman had to concede his probable defeat. "Do your best. But I want Robin protected from the media and obviously, all personal details shielded. And I testify first. Robin gives only the absolute minimum testimony necessary to make your case."

"I'll only use whatever's necessary to prosecute the case," Hayes said with relief.

"All right then, I'll bring him in," Batman said and strode out of the office. He returned with a young boy, small for his age with a heart shaped face and dark hair, dressed in a brightly colored costume.

"Hello, you must be Robin," said Hayes pleasantly, bending over to offer her hand to shake.

"How do you do, ma'am? I'm pleased to meet you," said Robin listlessly.

"Come sit over here, Robin. I want to talk to you about the trial," said Hayes, patting an easy chair. "Would it be okay if we go over your testimony a bit? I want to hear from you just what happened. But realize that anything I tell you, or you tell me, you might have to testify to in court. There's no attorney/client confidentiality between us. Okay?"

Batman settled in to listen to the interplay, with Gordon beside him. He was relieved that Hayes seemed to have experience in eliciting testimony from children. Her manner with Robin was much more gentle than her dealings with Batman had led him to believe. When Robin described the beating, Gordon flashed Batman an angry look.

"You lied to me," Gordon muttered in Batman's ear.

"I said Robin was alive. He was," Batman replied, just as softly. "Are you going to do something about it?"

Gordon sighed, taking off his eyeglasses and wiping them with his sleeve. "I should. You have no business putting that boy in danger, no matter how well trained he is. I haven't decided yet. Is it too much to hope that Robin is retiring after this trial?" He put his glasses back on, still frowning.

"That remains to be seen," said Batman grimly. This wasn't going to happen again, ever; he'd make sure of it.

"All right," said Hayes finally. "I think we're ready to go. You'll be waiting in a separate room to keep you shielded from the press. I'll come get you individually. And Robin," she said gently. "Batman is going first, so remember, when you testify, he'll be there in the front row. You'll be able to see him the whole time. Is that okay?"

Robin nodded, a smile breaking on his face for the first time. "That's fine. I'm glad. We'll see you in two days, Ms. Hayes." He stuck out his hand.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you, Robin," Hayes shook the boy's gauntleted hand, then turned to Batman. "Don't worry, Batman, it'll go smoothly. I'll see to it."

"Thank you, Ms. Hayes," said Batman. "I appreciate your help with this."

Hayes's word was good. On the second day of trial, with a jury freshly sworn in, she called Batman to the stand.

After so many years of being a costumed vigilante, Batman had lost count of the number of times he'd been on the stand. So often had it been, in fact, that the D.A.'s in Gotham simply took it for granted that Batman was just another kind of cop. Defense attorneys had tried many times to make Batman lose his cool, had questioned his motives, his identity, his biases, that it had become common knowledge among the defense bar that The Bat was virtually unshakeable.

After the preliminaries, Hayes got into the meat of the testimony.

"Batman, I understand that you have a juvenile partner named Robin. Is that correct?" she asked.

"Yes, I do," Batman replied.

"How old was he on the night Judge Watkins was murdered?"

"He was nine and a half years old," Batman said. Hayes had indicated that since handling the issue of Batman's very young partner was going to be tricky, it was better for the Prosecution to present it up front and get it over with.

"What were the circumstances of your being at the warehouse with the Defendant?" Hayes asked.

"Judge Lawrence Watkins of the Gotham County Superior Court had been kidnapped. I suspected that the culprit was Harvey Dent, in his current incarnation as Two-Face," Batman testified smoothly.

"And why is that?" Hayes queried.

"Judge Watkins was present in the courtroom at the time that then-District Attorney Harvey Dent was disfigured with acid by a mobster named Moroni. If indeed Two-Face was looking for some kind of revenge, he would try to attract my attention by performing some criminal act, inevitably including the number two. I suspected that Harvey might be trying to draw me out as well." Batman said.

"Why is that?"

"Harvey and I go way back. He was a friend and ally before he was disfigured. Since then, he's been a top criminal mind in Gotham City. We've clashed before," Batman said. "I had word that Eileen Damascus, the newspaper heiress had just given birth to twins. Given Harvey's obsession with the number two, I put this lead at the top of my list and made my way to the Damascus penthouse, arriving on the patio at the top of the building."

"Did Robin go with you?" Hayes asked.

"I told him to sit this one out, since I considered it too dangerous. Against orders, he followed me to the Damascus home. When I arrived and saw Dent holding two infants, with the parents pleading for their return. Dent was threatening to toss them over the side of the building to their deaths." The angle of Batman's jaw tightened in memory.

"What happened next? Did you retrieve the babies?"

"No. Harvey threw one child over the side of the building and Robin went after it with a jump line. Harvey tossed the second onto the pavement and I dove for it. Just as I caught the baby, somebody hit me from behind and I was knocked out," Batman replied, his voice tensing. "When I woke up, I had been strung up on a gallows with a hood over my head and my hands tied."

"Could you tell where you were?"

"I found out later that I was in the warehouse. At the time I woke up, I heard Harvey Dent's voice and Robin's. He told Robin that he had the chance to kill 'two birds with one pull', was the way he put it. To kill me and Judge "Let 'em go" Watkins. It sounded like Harvey was wavering between his two personalities, the prosecutor he had been and the criminal he'd become."

"Could you tell why Robin was there?" Hayes asked, pacing in front of her witness. The jury was leaning forward, listening intently. Good.

"It sounded like Robin had been captured or kidnapped as well. Harvey was inviting Robin to bet on the outcome of whether the person murdered was to be the Judge or me. I tried to warn Robin not to play Harvey's game, but Harvey clocked me on the jaw to shut me up," Batman's expression was hard.

"So Robin…ah…'played the game' with him?" Hayes queried, watching her witness closely.

"Dent is obsessed with a two headed coin he carries. He'll often make decisions based on a flip of the coin, marked side for bad, clean side for good. Robin got him to agree that if a flip of the coin turned up a clean side, the Judge wouldn't be hanged. Robin won the toss," Batman's fists clenched on the armrests of the chair.

"So, the judge wasn't hanged?" Hayes asked.

"Objection! This witness isn't competent to answer that question. He's testified that his head was covered," interjected Mr. Cortina, the attorney for the Defendant.

"Sustained," said Judge Simmons. "Rephrase that, Counsel."

"Thank you, Your Honor," said Hayes. "Your face was still hooded, is that correct Batman?"

"Yes, it was," said Batman. "I couldn't see anything. But I did hear some activity. Dent stood next to me and I heard a sawing noise, like a knife cutting a rope, then Harvey's voice saying 'The Judge doesn't hang, but he might just wish he had.'"

"Objection! That's hearsay," said the Defense attorney.

"It's an admission by the Defendant," replied Hayes. "An exception to the hearsay rule."

The judge paused a moment, then said, "I'll allow it. Please proceed Ms. Hayes."

"After the Defendant made his statement," Hayes continued. "Did you hear any other sounds?"

"I heard a thumping sound and felt the gallows vibrate, then I felt a breeze coming up from below me and to the left side. Immediately thereafter, I heard a splash." Batman's voice grew quiet. "Immediately after that, Dent pulled the hood off my face."

"What did you see when the hood was removed?" Hayes asked.

Batman's face took a grim set and he sat up straighter. Hayes couldn't see his eyes through the mask, but she knew that he was glaring straight at the Defendant. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Two-Face, seated at the counsel table with a smirk on his face.

"I stood alone on the gallows with an open trap door next to me and water below it. I saw Robin, with his arms died behind his back. I saw Dent, going down the steps of the gallows, talking to Robin."

"What did he say to Robin, if anything?" Hayes glanced back to Cortina, waiting for the objection. Cortina remained silent.

"Dent said that both Robin and the Judge had bloody hands and that Robin was at fault for the Judge's death. Then he said that he was going to kill both Robin and me, and that Robin would go first… And while he did that, Dent took off his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves, but he left his gloves on," Batman's voice was flat but his fingers were digging into the wood of the armrests. Hayes wondered idly whether they'd have to replace the chair after the trial was over.

"What happened then?" Hayes asked.

"Dent hit Robin across the face, knocking him to the floor," Batman said, his voice low.

"Open-fist or closed fist?" Hayes asked, her arms folded over her chest, voice businesslike.

"Closed fist," Batman growled.

"And then what?"

"He kicked the boy…multiple times," Batman's voice was even deeper. He was oriented toward the Defense table and radiated menace.

Disturbed, Hayes backed a few casual steps away from her witness. She noted that Captain Gordon and several police officers stood at the back of the crowded courtroom and felt vaguely comforted.

"What parts of the boy's body were impacted?"

"Abdomen and head," Batman said, low, his body held tensely, jaw clenched. She debated calling for a break to let him calm down, but didn't want to lose the momentum of Batman's testimony.

"What were you doing during this time?" she asked.

"I was tied up on the gallows platform, trying to get out of the ropes that bound me. I just couldn't break them or slip them off. I managed to get a vial of acid out of my belt and splashed some on the ropes, then began to pull against them."

"What was the Defendant doing in the meantime?" Hayes asked. She glanced at the jury, who were transfixed at the testimony. The Defendant's grin was even broader, with a pronounced leer. She shivered and turned her attention back to her witness.

"One of his henchmen gave him a baseball bat," Batman said, his eye on Dent. "Robin was kneeling on the floor. Dent stood over him and swung it at him."

"Did it hit?"

"Yes," Batman clipped off the sound.

"How many times?"

"A…at least six times. I lost count," Batman said tensely. Dent was casting a challenging stare right back at the vigilante, daring him to go for him.

"What parts of the body were hit?" she asked softly, hoping Batman didn't go for Dent's throat, since she was right in the middle.

"Everywhere," he said softly. "The bleeding was..considerable."

"What happened then?" she prompted.

"Dent said that he was going to make and end, that, as he put it, 'one shot to the skull should do it.'" Batman swung his gaze back at Dent again. "The acid broke through the ropes and I was free. Before he could swing that bat one more time, I had subdued his thugs and Dent himself."

"By subdued, what do you mean?" Hayes asked.

"I'd fought with them and knocked them out," Batman said tightly. "I took the bat away from Dent and used it on him. When Dent and his men were no longer a threat, I checked on Robin."

Making as much eye contact with Batman as she could through his mask, Hayes walked back to her counsel table and picked up a wooden baseball bat, wrapped in clear plastic, holding so that it rested in the palms of her hands. It was dented and battered and streaked with long brown stains.

"I'd like you to look at People's Exhibit A, Batman. Do you recognize it?" she handed it to him with both hands. Batman took it the same way, handling it delicately.

"Yes," he said softly. "This is the bat that Harvey Dent used on Robin. I recognize this chip on the handle."

"Did the condition of this bat change from the time you first saw it, until you took it away from the Defendant?" Hayes asked.

"You mean, whose blood is this all over it? And how were the dents acquired? The bat was pristine when Dent picked it up. The blood, markings and chips are the result of Dent's…attack…on Robin. My using it on Dent didn't change its condition," Batman said firmly as he handed the bat back to the Prosecutor. Hayes could see that, although Batman's face was set, his hands were shaking.

Hayes returned to the council table and picked up some photographs. "Batman, I'd like to show you these exhibits marked People's B-1 through B-5. Would you look at them, please?"

Batman took the photos and looked at them, then handed them back to Hayes.

"Can you tell me what they depict?" she asked.

"They are photographs of Robin's injuries immediately after the attack," Batman said, hands gripping the arm rests again.

"Are they an accurate depiction?" Hayes asked.

"Yes. They are," Batman said shortly.

"Your Honor, I'd like to move People's Exhibits A and B1 through B5 into evidence. I am also finished with this witness," said Hayes, returning to the council table and sitting down.

Alfred Pennyworth pulled the old black limousine up to the doorway of Dick's private school. As was usual, Dick slid into the seat next to the old man. Alfred cast a sideways look at the boy. "How was school today, Master Dick?"

Dick looked out the window. "Fine."

"It was my understanding that you were to begin taking a gymnastics class. Did you enjoy it?" Alfred kept one eye on the boy as he drove.

"It was okay, I guess," Dick said absently.

"A penny for your thoughts," Alfred said.

"Tomorrow's court day, isn't it?" Dick asked, fidgeting with his backpack. "And I'm gonna have to go?"

Alfred frowned. "Alas, young Master Dick, it seems that your presence will be required."

Dick wouldn't meet the old man's eyes. "If I told you I was pretty scared, you wouldn't tell Bruce, would you? I mean, yeah, I've done it before but testifying against those lame-o crooks was nothing." He smiled. "That was even fun."

"But this time, it's different," Alfred supplied, when the lad had been silent a few minutes.

"Yeah, Alfie. Before this, I…I didn't really realize just how evil some people could be, hurting someone just because they want to. When my parents were killed, it was for money. I can kind of understand that. But this…" Robin hunched into his seat. "Two-Face could have just killed me, but instead he hurt me to get back at Bruce." He looked up at the old man. "How can people do that?"

Ah, my young robin, the world is a more frightening place than you ever knew before, Alfred sighed to himself. "I'm sorry that you've come to understand that, Master Dick. It's an unfortunate truth that we can't avoid in this line of work. In Mr. Dent's case, I think we can blame a kind of mental illness. His…injury…has caused this derangement of his mental faculties." He looked at the uncomprehending face of his young companion. "In short, lad, he's ah...as you would say, 'a couple fries short of a happy meal'."

Dick grinned in spite of himself. "I'll remember that, Alfie."


	3. Batman's Testimony

CHAPTER 2

Author's note: I am writing the defense attorney as a great deal sleazier and less competent than most criminal defense lawyers for dramatic purpose and to keep the audience awake. Also, some minor errors in Batman's testimony on direct examination (the fault of the court reporter, not the witness) have been corrected and posted at .

CROSS-EXAMINATION OF BATMAN  
>BY DEFENSE COUNSEL, DEREK CORTINA , ESQ.<p>

Derek Cortina smoothed his hair and approached the witness stand.  
>He was thirtyish with dark hair, fashionably coiffed with a neatly tailored suit just a bit beyond his probable salary level. Batman noted that the shoes had been meticulously polished. He'd been questioned by Cortina before and this was not the day he'd have chosen to be cross-examined by this man. The Deputy P.D. had ambitions beyond the Public Defender's office and would be playing to the press. Batman sighed and settled in for a long afternoon.<p>

"Batman, is it?" asked Cortina.

"Yes," Batman replied.

"I assume that isn't your legal name. What's your legal name?"

"I'm known as Batman," he replied. "And have testified in this court under this name some 72 times and the Court has found it sufficient before this."

Cortina heard the jury tittering, so he went to another line of questioning.

"What's your legal address, then, 'Batman'?

"I can be reached in care of the Gotham Police Department, 101 Main Street, Gotham City, zip code 55512," Batman said patiently. "They have the means to contact me."

"Yeah, the bat-signal, I know…Batman, I'm curious about your new partner, Robin," said Cortina. "He was nine and a half at the time of the alleged incidents?'

"Yes he was," Batman said blandly.

"And is Robin your son? What's your relationship with a boy this young?"

"I decline to answer that question. It endangers Robin's anonymity and security."

"Is he a relative? Or is he your…special…friend?" Cortina drawled, drawing out every nuance he could.

Batman merely eyed him coldly. "I will not endanger his anonymity and security by answering your question."

"Your honor, Defense would request that you order Batman to answer my questions on pain of contempt. If we don't know the nature of the relationship between this man and the boy, we don't know what influence Batman may have had on the child's testimony. And more importantly, since we know nothing about 'Batman' or this pre-adolescent boy, for all we know half the injuries claimed may be the result of child abuse in the kid's own home! Or something worse!" Cortina sneered in Batman's direction.

"Your Honor, I object!" Hayes stood up from her table. "Defense is implying things about the Witness that are not in evidence and are likely to bias the jury. Let the jury take Batman's statements and refusals for what they are worth, without the innuendo."

"Your Honor," Cortina insisted. "The child is allegedly the only eye-witness to the murder of Judge Watkins. His word alone can condemn my client to life in prison or execution. My client has a right to know what influences are acting on him."

Judge Simmons rubbed his eyes and regretted the day he'd agreed to go to Gotham City. They were all nuts in this town. "Mr. Cortina, since this court seems to be in the habit of accepting this man's testimony despite his requirement of anonymity, I'm not inclined to find him in contempt if he refuses to answer questions of this kind. The jury will determine the Witness' veracity based on what he says and may make their own judgments about his refusals to answer. You've stated your objection for the record, you can deal with it on appeal." When I'm five hundred miles away at my fishing cabin…

Cortina nodded. All right, even if he lost, he won, since the press would see him as a fierce defender of his client, frustrated by a stubborn judge.

"So, Batman, the boy is about eleven years old now? I don't suppose you'd tell me his birthday?" Cortina asked.

"No, I would not," said Batman.

"Have you discussed the content of his anticipated testimony with 'Robin'?"

"Only the fact that he is needed to testify regarding what happened and what he saw," Batman shifted in his chair, clearly bored.

"And how is Robin taking it?" Cortina asked.

Batman gave him an icy glare. "He isn't looking forward to it, but is willing to testify if it means putting Two-Face away."

Cortina was beginning to feel frustrated. Try something different….Cortina picked up the police report and returned to the witness stand.

"According to the police report, neither you nor the boy were present when the Gotham P.D. arrived at the scene, correct?" Cortina asked.

"That's correct," Batman said.

"So, from the police department's point of view, they don't know whether you or Robin were even present that night," Cortina said. "Any more than they know what your real name is or who you really are."

"They know that we were there because I told them that we were," Batman said. "You'll also find DNA evidence establishing Robin's presence at the scene, namely the blood stains on the floor," Batman shifted in his chair, losing patience. "And I can assure you that I was there," he growled. "I believe that they matched a trail of my boot prints leading away from the pool of blood and toward the doorway."

"Hey! Why dontcha ask him why he chose a little kid as a partner?" Harvey called from the council table, sneering. "Just a little, incompetent kid! What a hoot! He was the best you could do for a comrade-in-arms?"

Both Batman and Cortina startled at Dent's statement. Cortina raised a hand when one of the Gotham officers made a move to shut up Dent. Instead, Cortina sat down next to his client and conferred quietly with him for a minute or two. Finally Cortina said, "No more questions for this witness, Your Honor."

Judge Simmons checked the clock on the wall and was relieved to see that it was 4:45 p.m. "All right, that's it folks. We'll call a halt for today and pick up tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Ms. Hayes, do you plan on a re-direct of this Witness?"

"No, thank you, Your Honor," she replied.

"Very well, this witness is released," the judge said. "Now, I am told..uh..'Batman'… that you plan to attend Robin's testimony tomorrow. Please understand that I want no disruption in the proceedings."

"I realize that, Your Honor," Batman said. "You'll have no trouble from me."

Batman made his tired way home from court. It had been much more grueling than he had anticipated. He had originally planned to go out on patrol tonight, but decided not to. He wasn't sharp enough and didn't want Robin out tonight, either. Tomorrow would bring its own troubles and the boy needed whatever sleep he could get. They would all be glad when this trial was over and behind them.

* * *

><p>Alfred was waiting in the Cave for him. "And how did it go, sir?"<p>

Batman pulled off his cowl and leaned against the batmobile, rubbing his eyes. "Long." He exhaled. "But it should save Dick from having to live through it again in detail." He paused, jaw working, arms folded. "Innuendo."

Alfred's face fell. "Ah. I do hope that they don't mistreat the lad on the stand," he said.

Batman looked fierce. "They won't. I won't stand for it. We can't prevent the evil opinions of others, old friend, but we can protect the innocent from them."

"Well, sir, the young master is waiting for you upstairs," Alfred said. "He is understandably nervous about tomorrow's proceedings. If you had some activity planned…?"

"Take his mind off it? I don't want Robin out on patrol tonight. I'll think of something."

"The young master also asked to wait dinner until you arrived. I took the liberty of preparing crab-stuffed mushrooms tonight, his favorite and, I believe yours?" The butler stood aside to let Bruce ascend the stairs first.

"You know, Alfred, I've noticed that ever since Dick came to live with us that somehow all of his favorite foods have become mine as well," Bruce commented over his shoulder.

"As it should be, Master Bruce," Alfred said quietly.

* * *

><p>Dinner was subdued. Dick didn't want to discuss the trial and Bruce certainly didn't want to go over what he'd recounted that day in court. Bruce could see Alfred gesturing at him from his position out of Dick's view.<p>

Bruce took a sip of his iced tea and said casually, "I was wondering if you'd like to shoot a few hoops tonight. Y'know, practice hand/eye coordination."

"I'd like that," said Dick quietly. "I'm not very good at basketball, though."

"Can't get better without practice," Bruce replied, putting his napkin down. "How about it?"

"Okay," Dick said and followed him outside.

When it had looked like Dick would be staying permanently, Bruce had had a basketball court put in with overhead lighting. As he'd hoped, Dick was soon jumping for the ball, laughing and whooping when he managed to snag it. He was finally behaving like a normal kid, for at least a while anyway.

Dick was smiling when they finally went indoors. When Bruce tucked him in for the night, he sat on the boy's bed and asked him quietly, "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"I guess," Dick said slowly. "I know I've asked this before, but you'll be there, right?"

"In the front row," Bruce said. "And Alfred is planning to watch from the public gallery. And you like Ms. Hayes, she'll keep an eye on you. You won't be alone, Dick."

"Okay," Dick said. "I'll be okay. You don't have to worry about me, I'm pretty tough for a kid."

Bruce ruffled the boy's hair and stood up. "You're pretty tough, period. I'll see you tomorrow."

"G'night," Dick said as Bruce turned out the light. Bruce stood in the doorway for a moment or two, then gently shut the door. He didn't see the boy open his eyes and stare into the darkness.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Alfred picked up the paper and glanced at the front page, then closed it hurriedly. Evidently the innuendo was juicy enough to make the lead article, the headline reading "Batman Accused of Improper Relationship with Boy." The next headline was just as disturbing: "Batman's Boy to Testify at Murder Trial Today—Only Witness to Judge's Murder." The Master had to see it, of course, but it wouldn't do to let young Master Dick see the glaring headline.<p>

"Sir," said Alfred smoothly, entering the breakfast room. "I believe that you have a telephone call in the other room," he said, gesturing toward the kitchen.

Bruce quickly put his napkin down and followed Alfred into the pantry. Silently, Alfred handed him the newspaper. Bruce's frown grew deeper as he read the articles, then he crumpled the paper with both hands and handed it back to Alfred. "Line a trash can with this, Alfred," he said and walked silently back into the breakfast room.

* * *

><p>Downstairs in the Cave, both Batman and Robin dressed with care. "Well, Robin? Are you ready to go?" Batman asked, trying inject some cheer into his voice. Every instinct told him that this was a bad idea, but they were boxed in.<p>

"Yes, I guess I am," said Dick said, getting into the batmobile. Batman silently closed the driver's door and began the drive to Gotham City.

* * *

><p>The courtroom at Gotham Superior Court was mobbed with the press. The trial of Harvey Dent was newsworthy enough, but the star witness was expected to testify today. Today, a new costumed vigilante, rumored to be partnered with the infamous Batman was going to give his testimony. All the more titillating to the public is the fact that this witness is rumored to be an anonymous eleven year old boy. The Gotham Gazette had already made hay speculating about the potential relationship between an older man and his child-partner.<p>

"The People call Robin to the stand," announced DAG Marya Hayes. All the rustling noises stopped as the bailiff opened a side door and let in two costumed vigilantes. The first was old hat to Gotham; everyone knew Batman. A tall man in a dark cape, led a young boy into the court room, to the DAG and left him there with a gentle pat on his shoulder, before moving to sit in the front row of the gallery. He had already given his testimony in the trial.

The boy, masked and wearing a bright red and green suit with a yellow cape, followed the DAG to the stand and sat down where she indicated, levering himself up into the tall chair. The women on the jury smiled and gave an audible "ahhhhhhh".

Hayes gave the child a gentle smile and approached him. "Can you state your name for the record?"

The boy took a breath, then glanced at Batman in the front row and straightened up again. "My name is Robin," he said into the microphone.

"How old are you, Robin?" the DA asked.

"I'm eleven years old," the boy said.

"And Robin, do you know the difference between the truth and a lie?" she asked him.

He nodded, then remembered the court reporter. "Uh..yes. I do. When you lie, you're making up stuff that isn't true. And when you tell the truth, you're telling what actually happened."

"That's right, Robin," Hayes said. "And do you promise to tell the truth to the court today?"

"Uh huh," he said nervously. "I mean, yes. Yes I promise to tell the truth."

Hayes cast a look at the Defendant's table and asked the boy, "Have you discussed your testimony today with anyone? To sort of get ready for today?"

Robin said, "Yes, I discussed it with Batman."

"And what, if anything, did he tell you?" Hayes asked.

"He told me to tell the truth, just the way it happened," said Robin firmly.

"Did you discuss it with me at all?" Hayes asked.

"I told you what happened," Robin twisted in his chair, suddenly uncomfortable. "You wanted to know how..how.." his voice trailed off and he pulled his feet up to his chin, wrapping his arms around his knees.

"Yes, Robin?" she prodded gently.

"How Two-Face tried to kill me with a baseball bat," Robin rushed out, then slowly let his legs dangle back to the floor.

"Did I tell you what you should say today?" Hayes asked.

"No. Nobody did. Just to tell the truth," Robin said

"Good," said Hayes. She pointed toward the prisoner, seated at a table in front. "Do you know this man?" Dent smiled and waved.

The boy visibly shivered, then replied, "Yes. That's Harvey Dent, also called 'Two-Face'."

"Do you remember when you first saw Mr. Dent?" she asked.

The boy nodded and pointedly looked away from Two-Face, to Batman. "Yes. I was nine and a half years old, working on a case with Batman."

"Were you at a warehouse located at 12th and Front Streets in Gotham City?"

"Yeah," Robin said.

"How is it that you got there?" Hayes asked gently.

"Um…I…I followed Batman to the top of the building that some lady lived in who'd just had twins," Robin said, focusing on Batman.

"Were you supposed to be there that night?"

"No…Batman told me not to, but I went anyway," Robin said.

"How did you get there? Did somebody drive you?" Hayes queried.

For the first time Robin smiled a little. "No, I flew with the jump lines. I'm really good at it."

Hayes smiled back. "I see. So when you got to the top of this building, what happened then?"

"Two-Face had two babies in his arms and he was gonna throw 'em over the side of the building. He looked at me and threw one over, even though I shouted at him not to." Robin's eye caught Alfred moving into the standing room at the back row and he relaxed minutely.

"What, if anything, did you do?" Hayes asked, catching his eye again.

"I threw a line and followed the baby down. I caught him on a ledge on the next building over, then I unwrapped him, you know, to tell him everything was all right?" Robin grimaced. "It was just a doll and then there was this mist in the air that smelled funny. Musta' been gas or something. Then everything went black."

"What's the first thing you remember when you woke up?" Hayes asked.

"There were two guys who looked like twins or something. They were standing over me telling me to wake up. My arms hurt and I realized they were tied behind my back, wrist over wrist. There's no play in the rope that way, so you can't get out." The boy frowned, remembering.

"I see," Hayes said, lips compressed a bit. "When did you first see the Defendant?"

"Two-Face? The twin guys pulled me upright and took me to him. Dent seemed…mad at me," Robin said thoughtfully, sparing a glance at Dent. Dent was watching the boy fixedly, his eyes glittering. Batman, off to one side of the Defendant's table, shot a glance at Dent.

"How could you tell?" Hayes asked.

"He asked what was Batman thinking, choosing me for a partner? I told Two-Face I was the best choice. Then Two-Face laughed and said I was defiant to the end. Then.." Robin twisted his fingers together in their green gauntlets.

"And then?" Hayes prompted.

"And then Two-Face took me to a gallows that had Batman on it and the Judge." Robin swallowed hard. "Th..then Two-Face said that he'd kill them both unless I made a side bet."

"What then?" Hayes asked gently.

"Batman said not to play his game, but I did anyway because I thought I could win. It was at least a chance. I..I...called the coin for the who would be first to die. Scarred face on the coin it would be Batman, clean face, the Judge."

"What was the result?"

"The clean side came up. The judge would be first, so I called best two out of three. Clean side again and the Judge wouldn't hang. Two-Face agreed and tossed it again. It came back clean side up."

"Did the judge hang?" Hayes asked.

Robin flashed an angry look at the Defendant's table. "He cheated. He went up to the gallows platform and said that the Judge wouldn't hang but might wish he had. He…he cut the rope around the Judge's neck…"

"And then what did the Defendant do?"

"He...he pulled the lever on the gallows and the trap door opened up under the Judge and he fell through the floor," Robin rushed out, his face set.

"Did you know where the Judge went when he fell through the trap door?"

"N..not exactly. I heard a splash," Robin said, fingers twisting together again.

"Did you say anything to Two-Face about what he'd done?"

"Yeah, I yelled to him 'what about the coin toss?'" Robin said, catching Batman's eye again. That seemed to calm him, Hayes noted. The jury was transfixed, looking sympathetically at Robin. The Defendant..Hayes frowned a bit and caught Batman's eye, nodding her head toward Two-Face. Batman gave a tiny nod and focused his attention on the Defendant.

"What, if anything, did Dent say to you?" Hayes focused on her young witness.

"He said that when you place a bet you gotta be very specific or else you'll find yourself in over your head," Robin said, his voice low and his body tensing."

"Robin, what did the Defendant do next?" Hayes asked softly crouching down low next to her witness.

"He took the hood off Batman's head and…and said that he was going to kill us both…but me first…and…and…" his voice trailed off, quivering.

"And?" Hayes said softly.

"And that Batman would watch,' Robin said, catching Batman's gaze and holding it.

"What did the Defendant do then?"

"He hit me."


	4. Robin's Testimony

CHAPTER 3

Author's note: The basketball court and reference to hand/eye coordination from Chapter 2 were borrowed from someone else's fanfiction, but I don't recall whose. So if you recognize it, please let me know so that I can acknowledge you.

"Robin, what did the Defendant do next?" Hayes asked softly crouching down low next to her witness.

"He took the hood off Batman's head and…and said that he was going to kill us both…but me first…and…and…" his voice trailed off, quivering.

"And?" Hayes said softly.

"And that Batman would watch,' Robin said, catching Batman's gaze and holding it.

"What did the Defendant do then?"

"He hit me."

"With his hand or with something else?" Hayes asked softly.

"W..with his fist..," Robin said, putting his hand up to his nose.

"Is that where he hit you? On your nose?" Hayes asked.

"Kinda across my face," Robin said. "He knocked me down and I felt my nose go crunch."

Hayes' asked, "Did you land on your back?"

"I was kinda on my side," Robin said, thoughtfully.

"What happened then?"

"He said, 'the kid can take a hit. That's good because there are more coming'." Robin frowned. Hayes looked up and saw Batman sitting tensely in his seat, fists clenched.

"And then?" she queried.

"I tried to roll back, out of the way, but I wasn't fast enough. He kicked me in the gut," he gestured across his abdomen.

Hayes glanced at the boy's hands and said, "let the record reflect that the witness is gesturing toward his middle abdomen at the bottom portion of the rib-cage." She turned to Robin and crouched down again, one hand on the side of his chair. "How hard did he kick you?"

Robin pulled his feet up to his chin again. "I couldn't breathe.. I went up about three feet and back down again."

"What happened then?" Hayes asked.

"He kicked me in the face, left side, then he pulled me up by my hair and started talking.

"What did he say?"

"Something like how justice is blind and that to serve justice you have to have guts and do stuff that's against the law in her name," Robin's own fists were clenched.

"And you think that's wrong?" she asked gently.

Robin looked up at her. "Yes. It's wrong. Batman says we serve the law. Maybe that's what makes Two-Face what he is. He forgot that." Robin turned his face toward the Defendant's table and looked directly at him for the first time. Two-face smiled back, running a coin through his fingers.

"And then what happened?" Hayes cast another glance at Batman, noticing that the viewers in the gallery were edging away from him in their seats. Batman's own gaze was following the Defendant's movements at the council table. Dent was fiddling with the coin, spinning it on the table top with a leering grin, his eyes riveted at the boy. Well, Gordon and his cops were here again, today, she noted. And Batman was in the front row.

Robin had followed her eyes and began to look angry. Not looking away from Two-Face, he said clearly, "One of his goons gave him a baseball bat and he started hitting me with it."

"Do you know how many times he hit you?" Hayes asked, hearing the tic-tic of the coin rolling.

"No…there were too many," said the boy.

"More than three times?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "More than that."

Tic-tic went the coin.

"What parts of your body did he hit?" That coin was getting distracting. She moved closer to the boy to be sure he paid full attention to her questions.

"My arm," he held up his right arm. "My shoulder….head…ribs...I…I…don't know where… everywhere, I guess."

"Did it hurt?" she asked.

"Well, yeah…I mean…yes..it did," unconsciously, he ran a the back of his hand across his nose, then took the Kleenex the prosecutor handed him.

"Did you cry?"

"Yeah," the boy said, looking defiantly at Two-Face. "But not much."

"Where you scared?"

"Yeah," the boy breathed.

"Did the Defendant say anything while this was happening?" She asked, still hearing the tic-tic of the coin from the Defense table.

"Yes…he said that I should remember that 'the bat' killed me, not him…." He shivered, then straightened up. Hayes noted that Batman had focused his entire attention on Harvey Dent, still playing with that coin.

"Did he hit you any more?"

"I don't remember what happened. I heard shouting and noise and it was hard to breathe, really hard. Then it felt like somebody picked me up and…and somebody said 'he's dying'…and that's all I remember," Robin's face was set.

"While all this was happening, did you think that the Defendant was trying to kill you?" Hayes handed him another Kleenex.

"I knew he was going to kill me eventually, after he was done getting back at Batman," Robin said, Kleenex balled in his fist.

"What do you mean?"

"He was gonna kill me, but he was gonna hurt me first and make Batman watch, to…to hurt Batman even more. And then he was gonna kill Batman," the boy said, shredding the Kleenex.

She put a hand on his shoulder, "When you woke up again, where were you?"

"I was in Dr. Leslie's clinic," Robin said.

"Let the record reflect that this would be the Gotham Free Clinic under Dr. Leslie Thompkins," Hayes said to the court reporter.

"Did she tell you what was wrong with you, Robin?" Hayes asked.

"I knew my arm was broken, because it was in a cast. I couldn't talk, because she said she had a tube going into my lungs to breathe for me; she said I had too many ribs broken to breathe on my own. And I had a concussion," Robin said, rubbing his right arm absently.

"How long did you stay there?" Hayes asked.

"I dunno, it's all pretty fuzzy. Maybe a week or so?" Robin said. "Then I went home and stayed in bed some more."

"Did you have to do physical therapy?" Hayes asked.

"Yeah. Dr. Leslie explained it to me and gave me a chart so I could do it at home. Batman helped me with it, too," Robin said.

"About how long was it before you started feeling back to normal?"

"About six months, I guess," Robin said.

"Did you miss any school?" Hayes asked.

"I learned at home," Robin replied. "I home-schooled, so no, not really."

"Now, Robin," she said. "The man who beat you, who was it? Do you see him in the courtroom?"

Tic-tic went the coin….

Robin shoved himself out of the chair and stood up, then pointed toward the Defence table. "That's him, Two-Face."

"And Robin, the man who killed the judge, who did that?" Hayes asked.

"Him," he said, still pointing. "Two-Face."

Dent tossed the coin one more time and looked at the result, holding up the marred side with a grin at the boy. "You lose the toss, kid!" he yelled and launched himself over the table at Robin, Dent's shackles mysteriously falling away from his ankles. "Gonna finish what I started!"

Dent grabbed the plastic covered bat from the evidence table and ran toward the boy, Batman in pursuit. Robin pushed Hayes behind him and stood before her in a fighting stance as Gordon and his men tried to make their way through the crowded courtroom toward the front.

Inches before Dent got to the boy, Batman tackled him to the floor, gauntleted hand holding Dent's right wrist tightly. Getting to his knees and pulling Dent upright by his bat-wielding arm, Batman said, "Not again, Harvey. Not ever again."

Because of the uproar caused by the Defendant's outbursts, his attorney promptly petitioned the court for a mistrial on the grounds that the jury was now tainted with negative opinions of the Defendant.

The judge, annoyed and troubled by Gotham City and its denizens, denied the motion. But as the additional evidence regarding Dent's actions vis-à-vis the boy came in, Judge Simmons began to feel troubled. A conscientious man, he believed strongly in his role as an officer of the Court and a judge. What had happened to that boy was just wrong; no child should be exposed to the kind of danger posed by someone like Harvey Dent. He found young 'Robin' to be endearingly plucky and brave, alone there on the stand. He didn't like the idea of such a bright young boy exposed to the seamier side of life. He began to ponder what he ought to do...


	5. Taken

CHAPTER 4

The next day, Judge Simmons eyed the defense attorney with something approaching patience as he reiterated his instruction out of the jury's hearing. "Mr. Cortina, please make sure that your client thoroughly understands that if there is another outburst from him, I will have him gagged where he sits regardless of whether it taints the jury's opinions or not."

"He understands, Your Honor," Cortina said meekly.

"Is that correct, Mr. Dent?" Simmons asked the Defendant.

"Oh yes, Your Honor," Dents cracked an ugly smile. "I understand perfectly."

"All right then, counsel," Judge Simmons sighed. "Let's call the jury in and they you can call your witness for Cross, Mr. Cortina."

A bright-eyed jury came into the room from the hallway outside, eyeing the Defendant with curiosity tinged with caution. After yesterday, they had no idea what to expect but were looking forward to something to break the tedium of jury duty.

After the jury was seated, Mr. Cortina got up and announced, "The Defense calls Robin to the stand for cross-examination."

The bailiff went out a side door and soon Batman was leading the boy back into the room. Robin headed for the witness seat and stood before it. Batman, cast a long, threatening look at the Defendant before sitting down where he'd sat the previous day. Judge Simmons spared a cautioning glance at Batman before proceeding.

"All right, Robin, you remain sworn to tell the truth from yesterday. Will you agree to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth today?" Judge Simmons intoned.

"I will, sir," said Robin and levered himself up into the chair again.

Cortina approached the boy, with a smile that Robin could only call 'smarmy'. "So, Robin, my name is Derek Cortina and I represent Mr. Dent."

"Yeah, I know who you are," Robin said calmly.

"I understand that you are Batman's..er..junior partner?" Cortina said with a half-smirk.

"Yeah, but it's not a joke like you're trying to make it sound," Robin said. "I'm there to watch his back."

"I see," Cortina said. "And that's a colorful outfit you're wearing. Who picked it?"

"I did," Robin said. "Are you going to keep trying to make me look stupid?"

The jurors laughed indulgently and even Batman could be seen to cough briefly.

"All right, Robin," said Cortina. So much for bonding with the brat..uh..kid. "Let's talk about the incident at the warehouse."

"The murder, you mean?" Robin asked.

"Let's talk about what you actually saw that night," Cortina said. "When you first looked at the scaffold, what did you see?"

Robin shrugged. "I saw Batman and Judge Watkins standing on the scaffold with hoods on their heads and rope around their necks."

"You hadn't ever met the judge before that night had you?" Cortina asked.

"No," said Robin.

"And you never saw the face of who or whatever it was that got dropped through the trapdoor, did you?" Cortina went on.

Robin thought a moment. "No, I never saw his face."

"Then, for all you know, the 'judge' could have been somebody else entirely or even a mannequin, isn't that true?" Cortina said.

"I...I guess," said Robin.

"So, you really don't know whether my client, Mr. Dent, was cutting free a person or just a mannequin, do you?"

"No..." said Robin.

"And for that matter, you don't know if anybody actually died, do you? You didn't see the 'judge's body, did you?"

"I didn't see the judge's body," said Robin.

"There were already mannequins in the warehouse, weren't there?" Cortina asked.

"Yes," said Robin. "In a kind of jury box."

"How many were there?"

"About four…"

"Or maybe more than that?" Cortina suggested.

"Maybe. I didn't pay much attention to them. I was watching Two-Face…" Robin said, face set.

"And, I imagine that your memory of the events is a bit fuzzy since then? I mean, what with a head injury and all...?"

"My memory is clear," said Robin firmly. "I know what Two-Face did!" He gripped the arms of the chair tightly.

"Two-Face? Or one of his men, maybe? It's hard to know these things; I'm sure you were looking away as much as you could..."

"I was looking right at him and trying to get away," Robin said. "And besides, Batman saw him too."

"And is that what Batman told you happened? Did you discuss what happened that night with him once? Or was it more?" Cortina's voice was smooth as silk.

Robin hunched his shoulders. "No! Nobody told me what to say. I saw a man go through the trap door and Two-Face said he'd killed him. Then Two-Face beat me up until I was unconscious. THAT is what happened. Don't treat me like I'm a stupid kid!"

Cortina smiled a feral smile at the boy. "All right, Robin, let's go through some other things. I understand that you saw my client one more time after the warehouse…."

Robin looked up. "Uh…no, not exactly."

Cortina frowned. "You and Batman arrested Mr. Dent at Larry's Bar, didn't you?"

"Uh, yeah, we did," Robin said. "But..I saw Two- Face one other time."

Cortina's eyes widened. He hadn't heard about this, but if he didn't follow up, the jury would wonder why. Mentally crossing his fingers he asked the question he didn't already know the answer to. "Where was that?"

The boy looked down, almost embarrassed. "2020 Doubleday Way. Two-Face had tied up Mr. and Mrs. Hennessey, the owners, and taken over the house. He grabbed one of my friends…and threatened to kill him but wanted me to bet on his two sided coin to save my friend…." Robin looked up with eyes that burned behind the lenses of his mask.

Two-Face abruptly sat up straight, staring at Robin, then he began to grin. "That's the kid…that's the kid who got away! The one who wouldn't play the game..EVERYBODY PLAYS!…." He caught the judge's angry glance and Two-Face's voice died back to a mutter.

"I..knocked Two-Face out with a board and my friend and I got away before he could shoot us…" Robin finished, eyes fixed on Two-Face.

Not a problem, decided Derek Cortina. Not related to the murder charges. Not relevant. He glanced at his client, who seemed to be giggling dementedly to himself and sighed. Time to cut this short and take a break. "No more questions for this witness, Your Honor," Cortina said and hurried back to his client. 

* * *

><p>"I have a couple more on re-direct," said the Prosecutor, approaching Robin.<p>

Judge Simmons nodded, one eye on the figure of Two-Face, hunched over giggling to himself.

"Robin, what kind of clothing was the man you thought was Judge Watkins wearing that night?"

"Uh…a green cardigan sweater, all buttoned up, "Robin said, remembering. "Green pants, a white shirt and yellow tie."

"Thank you, Robin," Hayes said. That matched what the body of Judge Watkins was wearing when they pulled him out of the river. "I have a couple more questions for you." She paused, formulating the next question.

"Did you get a good look at Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face when you were in the warehouse?"

"Yes," Robin said confidently.

"What was the closest that Dent got to you that night?" she asked softly.

Robin was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "About six inches away from my face. He was kneeling on one knee in front of me and he pulled my head up by the hair so I had to look at him. I saw him clearly, both then and when he pulled the handle on the gallows." Robin looked directly at Two-Face and met his gaze, stony-faced. "I wouldn't confuse him with anyone else."

"All right, Robin, I think we're done," said Hayes. "Thank you. I'll dismiss this witness."

Simmons looked over at Cortina. "Anything more counsel? No? Then Robin, you're dismissed but subject to recall should we need you further." Simmons checked his watch. "All right, let's break for lunch everybody. Jurors be back at 1:30. Counsel, I'd like to see you at 1:00 to go over motions in limine." 

* * *

><p>Robin stood up as the two police officers moved in to take Two-Face away. "You're the one that got away, aren't you kid? The one that wouldn't play! The one that wouldn't shoot me when you had a chance," Two-Face, now being drawn away by the cops, shouted over his shoulder. "You're gonna be sorry you didn't shoot when you had the chance, brat!"<p>

Batman drew close to his partner. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yeah," said Robin, eyes fixed on Two-Face as they dragged him away, still shouting. "I'm fine." He looked up at Batman. "Let's go home."

On the drive home, Robin was pensive. Finally, he said, "Batman, I'm sorry I messed up my testimony."

"You didn't mess up, you did just fine? Why do you think you did something wrong?" Batman asked.

"I couldn't say that I actually saw Judge Watkins dead. What if Two-Face goes free because I didn't actually see him dead?" Robin looked out the side window sadly.

"Robin, I'll show you the lab reports when we get back to the Cave. They found the judge's body, dressed exactly as you described. The rope around his neck was matched to the hempen rope hanging from the gallows, a very unusual non-synthetic blend, I might add. That was no mannequin that dropped, it was a living man, Robin. You did just fine. You testified to what you actually saw, and that's the best that any witness can do," Batman said gently.

"But the jury, what if they thought I was just a stupid kid, like Cortina wanted them to?" Robin asked.

"You're not stupid, even if you are a kid," Batman said. "You've got an excellent memory for detail. The jury? Juries always do what they do, there's no predicting them. All we can do is wait. If Harvey gets out, it won't be because we didn't do our best to put him away." Batman gave his ward what he hoped was an encouraging smile and the rest of the ride went smoothly. He did have a concern which he chose not to share with his young partner. Dick had told him about his adventures with Shrike and the junior assassins school that Robin had fallen into, including their meeting with Two-Face. He hadn't expected Dent's reaction, finding out just who that one kid had been. He resolved to keep a closer eye on his young partner and keep an ear to the ground for Dent and his cronies.

BACK AT COURT

The final witness of the day was Dr. Leslie Thompkins, giving a crisp, concise description of the boy's injuries. Having heard the testimony about what caused them, Simmons still found himself shocked by their nature and extent. He'd seen some horrific child abuse cases in his thirty years on the bench, but this was among the worst he'd ever seen. There was no question; he had to do something about this. It was bad enough that Gotham City let the general public dress up in funny outfits to do police work. When they dragged in children, it was beyond the pale. He made a phone call.

Court ended for the day and he handed the court file to his clerk, along with the trial exhibits. "Mary, will you see that a rush copy is made of the documents and photos here? Yes, that includes the x-rays as well. They can go to the document copy service to be put onto disk under my authorization. Then send the copies to Alice Barry at Child Protective Services. No cover letter. She'll know what it's about." 

* * *

><p>At dinner that night, Dick was his old self, bubbling with laughter and mischief. Bruce found himself laughing at Dick's corny jokes, as much with relief that the whole ordeal was over as for any other reason.<p>

"Can we patrol tonight, Batman?" Dick pleaded. "Now that we're done testifying, they don't need me anymore." He started turning somersaults around the dining room, to Alfred's horrified gaze. "I've been sitting still for too long!"

Bruce leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily. "All right, all right! We'll go out tonight. But remember, you've got school tomorrow, so not out too late."

"Okay," said Dick. "I'll race ya to the cave!" he shouted and ran for the stairs. Bruce lunged out of his chair and raced after him, leaving a smiling butler in their wake.

Batman and a grinning Robin began their patrol in their usual haunts, down by the waterfront and the warehouse district. Then they played tag among the gargoyles on Gotham Cathedral, ending their tour as usual in Crime Alley. There, they were serious, because it was a dangerous area and didn't get many police patrols.

To Batman's surprise, two patrolmen he recognized were there, escorting a middle-aged woman. "Hank," said Batman. "And Bill, it's good to see you here tonight. What brings you out? Trouble?"

Hank pulled off his hat and looked sourly at the woman. "I'm afraid there's trouble, Batman, and not anything I'd like to bring to you." He reached into his pocket only when the woman nudged him. "Batman, this is Alice Barry and I'm from Child Protective Services. I'm required to ask you to surrender the boy to our custody per this court order."

While Hank was talking, the second police officer had casually walked over to Robin. As Hank handed the paper to Batman, Bill grabbed the boy's arm and tried to lead him to the woman. Robin yelled, uncomprehending, and began to fight back.

"Wait! Wait!" Batman roared. "Stop!" He moved up behind Robin and put both hands on the boy's shoulders. "Just what is this all about?"

"I'm sorry, Batman," said Alice Barry. "I didn't want it to go down this way. The fact is that there has been some question about whether Robin's home life is appropriate. We were alerted about some testimony he gave describing physical abuse he was subjected to…"

"Yes," said Batman. "By Harvey Dent, who is now on trial for it. There's nothing wrong with Robin's home life."

"Batman, the thing that's wrong with his home life may well be YOU," said Alice. "I've read transcripts of Robin's testimony and watched him in court. He's only eleven years old, yet you expose him to the most violent and horrific of criminals. Because of your negligence, he nearly died. He's just a child and needs to be protected. In any case, it has been determined that, until further investigation, Robin will be removed from your custody."

"Can I at least talk to him first?" Batman demanded. Warily, the woman nodded while the cops watched for any false moves by Batman. Batman crouched before the boy. "Robin, I don't want this any more than you do but I promise I will get you back. We both have to obey the law and this is part of it, do you understand?"

Robin nodded tearfully. "Do I have to go to juvenile hall?"

Batman looked at the woman, frowning and worried. "Where are you going to take him? You can't just put him in juvenile hall. Given who he is, that would be a death sentence; like putting a cop in with the general prison population. At least protect him if you won't let me do it. And let him keep his mask. If Gotham's criminals find out who he really is, there will be no safety for him anywhere in the City."

She shrugged. "I'll do the best I can, but the system is very crowded and good foster homes are scarce."

Batman turned back to the boy and tried to put a calm face on it. "If they send you there, you have to stay, but I'll see to it that you get out as fast as possible. Don't run away, okay partner? If you do, it'll just make it harder for me to get you back. Promise?" Batman said earnestly to Robin, willing him to understand the politics behind this. The most he could hope for was the young boy's faith in him; maybe it would be enough.

Robin paused a moment, then nodded again. "Okay. I'll stay put."

"Will I be able to visit him?" Batman asked the woman.

"That will depend on the courts, Batman," said Barry, reaching out a hand to the boy. "Come on, Robin, let's go."

Looking mournfully over his shoulder at Batman, Robin reluctantly took her hand and allowed himself to be led away.

The leaves rustled in Crime Alley as the patrolmen and the CPS worker pushed Robin into the squad car. Batman stood there, crushing the court order in his hand as they took Robin away.


	6. Gotham Youth Center

CHAPTER 5

After the car had driven away, Batman took flight in a direct line to Captain Gordon's office. He stormed into the bullpen and pushed open the office door, his face full of rage.

Jim Gordon looked up tiredly from a desk filled with papers. "Batman? What's happened?"

"YOU did this!" Batman shouted, throwing the paper onto Gordon's desk. "The night I went after Dent you told me that if any harm came to Robin…you said, and I quote, 'I WILL drop on you from a great height...'"

Gordon looked up at Batman in confusion, then opened the crumpled paper and read it, his shoulders drooping as he took in the contents. He looked up with a face full of regret. "I didn't do this, Batman. Please believe me. I should have, there's no question, but no, I didn't call them in." Gordon took off his glasses and began to wipe them. "CPS has the boy now?"

Batman slumped, leaning against the wall. "Yes. They took him tonight and are probably going to put him into the Gotham Youth Center."

"That snake pit?" Gordon said. "It's not safe. Half of the 'foster' kids there are ex-felons, even if they are under age eighteen."

"I know," Batman said. "At least Robin knows how to defend himself. I told the CPS woman to keep him in solitary and protect him."

"And you think she'll do that?" Gordon said incredulously. "Granted, you spend most of your time with the adult felons, not the kiddie crooks. Most social workers do try, but once she releases him to the GYC, she's out of control unless she can find him another placement." Gordon grabbed his suit coat. "I'm going over there to make sure Robin's put in a single. No, you'd better not go," he warned as Batman made to follow him. "Your every move will be scrutinized now. If you want to get the boy back, you'll have to play by their rules." Gordon grinned. "And I suspect that even as a child you colored outside the lines."

"Fair enough, Jim," said Batman, hands raised. "Just make sure he is safe."

* * *

><p>Robin sat in the car between the patrol officer and the lady. He watched the street lights casting shadows on the traffic and remembered the last time he'd been in a car like this. His parents had just died and he had been a friendless orphan until Bruce came and got him out of that terrible juvenile facility. He had a familiar empty feeling inside and wondered whether Bruce could come through this time. After all, Dick wasn't his family, not really. Bruce was his guardian, not a father or a parent. Batman had said to be patient, so he'd be patient and try to have faith in him.<p>

He looked up when he saw the gates of the Gotham Youth Center approach. The guard leaned in to talk to the patrol officer and his eyes widened when he saw who occupied the back seat. Robin just looked away and the car drove in.

Ms. Barry got out of the car and gestured for Robin to follow her. The second patrol officer followed them in, Robin suspected to make sure he didn't cut and run for it. Ms. Barry led them into the intake area and a male staff-member took charge of Robin.

Embarrassed, Robin had to stand still while the guard patted him down for weapons, taking his batarangs and finding various smoke bombs and incendiary devices in his belt. The guard's eyebrows raised when he found the lock picks and set them aside, then he put the belt on the counter. Next he took Robin's wrist computer and added it to the pile. "Are you carrying any more armament, young man?" he asked warily.

"No," said Robin, sorry he hadn't had a chance to hide the lock picks.

"Here's your new clothing," said the guard. "I'll go with you to make sure you're not carrying anything more."

Robin took a deep breath. Oh, he remembered this from last time. The strip-search for drugs. Batman will get me out of here. Batman will get me out of here….he repeated it to himself as he followed the guard to the changing area.

* * *

><p>Robin, dressed in jeans and a baggy green t-shirt that said "Gotham" on it, watched the guard pile his boots next to the rest of his Robin costume, then sweep it all into a plastic bag. The mask was all they'd let him keep, and that grudgingly. Robin sat down to roll up the legs of the jeans and tied the too-big sneakers extra tight over the two pairs of athletic socks it took to make them fit. A garbage bag with underwear, change of clothing and pajamas sat next to him.<p>

"What's going to happen to my stuff?" he asked the guard.

"It will be locked up and kept for you," said the man. "Unless you have other plans for it?"

"I..if you could give it to Captain Jim Gordon of the Gotham P.D., he could get it back to Batman," said Robin. "There's stuff in the belt that shouldn't be left around."

The guard looked at his watch. "It's going to be lights-out shortly, so I'll take you to your room. We're putting you by yourself for now until you've been evaluated and assigned to a unit. Come on."

Robin followed the guard through several locked doors to a line of cement-block rooms until he got to the one on the end and unlocked it. "This is yours for the time being. Good night." Robin went in and listened as the door slammed shut with an air of finality. Batman will get me out of here….

James Gordon found the front desk at juvie hadn't changed much since his last visit. "Hi, I'm Captain Jim Gordon from GCPD," he said to the attendant, flashing his badge. "I understand you have a new intake tonight, a boy named Robin."

The attendant grinned. "Oh, you mean the Bat's boy? Yeah, we got him."

"I just wanted to let you know that he needs to be in the high risk housing. Since he's associated with the Batman, he'll be a target," Gordon said, hoping to get past the attendant's look of disinterest.

"Yeah, we've got him in a single. He'll be okay. Oh, and the kid wanted this left for you," the attendant reached under the counter, removed a plastic bag and handed it to Gordon.

Jim peeked inside and his eyes widened when he saw the boy's uniform. "I see. You did let him keep his mask, didn't you? His anonymity is his protection."

"Yeah, yeah we got that request, too," the attendant said. "These vigilantes are more trouble than they're worth, I tell ya. And it's not like we've got the Joker locked up in here. It's just kids."

"Okay," said Gordon. "And thanks. Oh, and if the kid has any problems or needs anything, will you call me?" He slid his business card across the counter top with a folded fifty dollar bill.

The attendant's smile got broader as he tucked the bill and card away into his shirt pocket. "Sure, Gordon, be glad to help."

* * *

><p>LATE THAT NIGHT<p>

The air ducts and crawl spaces hadn't changed since his last visit and although he'd grown some, he still fit. After a brief climb, Robin sat on the roof with his knees to his chin, waiting.

"At least you remembered your shoes this time," a quiet voice said from behind him.

"Hi Batman," said Robin, turning around with a smile. "I still fit in the vents."

"I'm glad," said Batman, sitting next to him. "How are they treating you?"

Robin shrugged. "I'm just another inmate. They gave me a room to myself in the security wing, so nobody's threatened me yet. And they let me keep my mask but they took away my clothes."

"So I see," Batman said quietly. "I'm sorry this had to happen."

"Me too," said Robin, fiddling with the lace on his oversized sneaker. "Why can't I just go home with you now? I mean, nobody will notice until morning."

Batman sighed. "It's not as simple as that. Yes, you could go home with me right now and pick up your life right where you left off…"

"Well?" Robin demanded. "What are we waiting for?"

"If you choose to do that, partner, you can't ever be Robin again," Batman said. "You are here because of what Harvey Dent did and the fact that I didn't protect  
>you."<p>

"Batman, I saw you! You tried…." Robin's voice cut off as Batman raised his hand.

"I couldn't protect you," he said. "Because of that, the CPS people feel that you're in danger when you're with me as Robin. If you simply gave Robin up and became an ordinary kid, you wouldn't be exposed to those dangers. That's what they want." Batman paused. "Look, Dick, it's all right if you want to just be a kid. Maybe what I do really is too dangerous for you..."

"You need me," Robin said with a stubborn look. "You need somebody to watch your back and help you out there. I've saved your life more than once."

"I know, partner," Batman rubbed tired eyes beneath the cowl. "But what I'm saying is that for you to keep Robin, we'll have to fight and fight hard. And you already know what a dangerous life it is. It's your decision."

"Do you want a Robin?" the boy asked tentatively.

"More than ever," Batman grinned.

"Okay, then we fight," Robin said. "I'm not giving up."

Batman nodded. "All right. The first hearing is in ten days."

Later that night, in a bed smelling strongly of disinfectant, Dick thought about the conversation. He hadn't said what was really on his mind. Batman had gotten scared and had taken Robin away from him after Dent's attack, so Dick had run away, knowing that if Batman didn't want a partner, then neither did Bruce want a son. Dick had known that there was no place for Dick Grayson in the household. Would there still be a place for him at Wayne Manor if the CPS people made Batman give up Robin permanently? Dick stared up at the stained ceiling tiles. He wasn't going to let that happen, wasn't going to even bring that question up. Batman was going to have a Robin and he was it! One way or another.

Batman arrived at the Batcave to find Alfred waiting for him. Alfred's eyebrow rose when he failed to see young master Robin at Batman's side.

"So it's true, sir?" Alfred asked quietly, setting a sandwich tray down on the table in front of Batman.

"Is what true?" Batman asked, his expression stony.

"The lad isn't with you. They have taken him away, then? There was a report on the news," Alfred said.

"I'm afraid so, Alfred," Batman fished the legal paper out and spread it on the table. "There's a hearing in ten days. I'll be hiring a lawyer."

"Good, sir," said Alfred. "You are going to fight for the boy, then?"

Batman looked up from heavy brows at the old man. "You bet I will," he said.

* * *

><p>THE NEXT MORNING<p>

An alarm went off early the next morning, leaving Robin trying to huddle into his pillow. Usually Alfred came to wake him; what was that noise? He pulled his head out of the pillow and his nose caught the twin smells of cement and Lysol. Oh yeah…that was right. He was stuck in a nightmare.

The door rattled, then opened and a guard poked his head inside. "Hey, Robin, get dressed and I'll take you to breakfast. Then you have a couple appointments."

Robin sat up and eyed the pile of clothing dismally. "Can I at least take a shower first?"

The guard shrugged. "Okay, I'll take you down to the showers, then I'll show you where the cafeteria for this unit is. I'll come get you for your appointments."

Robin stowed his clothing in a locker and went into the shower room, finding it full of boys, all ages and sizes, then realized what a mistake he'd made. They all stopped what they were doing and just stared at the kid with the mask. Okay, Batman had trained him in unarmed combat, he could do this. Silently, Robin moved over to an empty shower and took the quickest shower of his life, then slipped back into the locker room in relief.

A couple of kids were waiting for him at his locker. "So you're Robin, are you?" said the one who looked like a gorilla.

"Yeah, that's me," Robin said, shifting his stance for quick movement.

The gorilla grinned. "That's great! You guys saved my Dad when he was being mugged. Thanks! My name's Josh and this is Hector," he gestured toward the shorter, pudgy kid. "You need anything, let us know. I owe you one," Josh said with a grin.

Robin brightened. "Thanks," he said and opened his locker. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

The guard came back to escort him to breakfast. Even though again everything stopped when he entered the room, nobody made any dangerous moves. Robin watched the room, knowing that the attendants were also concentrating on keeping order. The danger wouldn't come today, not while they were watching.

He saw Josh's hand raised, waving him over to the table. Josh and Hector had saved him a spot. "Hey, Robin, c'mon and sit with us." Josh pointed to the seat between them. "My Dad will be so jazzed when he finds out I know you."

Robin put his tray down and sat. "Doesn't Hector say anything?" he asked.

Josh grinned and Hector said, "Yeah, I just wait til I have something worth saying. Josh talks enough for both of us. So why are you here? You've got a home, don't you? With Batman?"

Robin looked down at his tray, poking at the anonymous looking food, not even close to one of Alfred's breakfasts. "They think it's too dangerous for me to be Robin and that Batman isn't protecting me well enough."

Josh took a swig of orange juice. "Yeah, I saw the news coverage about Two-Face's trial. He pretty much beat the crap out of you, didn't he?"

"Yeah?" Robin replied angrily. "That wasn't Batman's fault. I didn't follow orders and got caught. Everything that happened was my own stupidity. Not his fault," he pushed the tray away.

"Sorry, didn't mean to make you mad," said Josh. "Uh-oh, looks like they want you for something. "

Robin looked up and saw the guard coming down the row of tables for him. "They said they had a couple appointments for me."

"Oh, that's when they try to get you to talk about how you're sexually abused and your parents beat you," Hector said.

Robin frowned. "You mean this can get worse?"

Hector grinned. "Yeah, unless Batman really was doing things to you…"

Robin turned on him. "You take that back! He's the best man who ever lived!"

"Hey! Touchy!" Hector held up his hands. "I don't mean nothin'. Chill, man!"

"Sorry," Robin said, as the guard came up to him.

"Okay, Robin, you got a couple interviews," said the guard. "Come with me."

"We'll see you again at dinner," said Josh.


	7. Law of the Jungle

CHAPTER 6

That morning, Alfred was walking down the too-quiet halls of Wayne Manor, when he overheard Master Bruce on the telephone.

"….yes, I want you to get me certified as a foster parent for Robin, Batman's partner. Yes, it seems that CPS feels Batman's custody is too dangerous for the child. Because of overcrowding, it seems that the boy has been housed in the local juvenile hall….Well, I'd like to help…feel sorry for the kid. Uh huh…Oh, and could you recommend a good family law attorney for Batman? No..he's a crime-fighter, I don't think he associates with lawyers willingly much…Yes…All right, I'll be sure to let him know. Thanks, Rae…" Bruce set the phone in its cradle with a click and leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled.

"Success, sir?" asked Alfred.

"Well," said Bruce with a smile. "If it's possible, we're going to foster 'Robin' until this is settled."

"What about…er…'Master Dick'?" asked Alfred.

"For now, Dick is away at camp. If necessary, he's at boarding school or visiting distant relatives or even traveling with Haley's Circus," Bruce said. "I can't leave Robin in that juvenile prison."

"Understood, sir," Alfred said. "How was the lad bearing up when you saw him?"

A look of worry flashed across Bruce's face. "He's doing all right for now. You should see him, he's wearing clothing two sizes too big for him." He snapped his fingers. "That reminds me, Alfred, could you run an errand for me?"

* * *

><p>The guard led Robin through several sets of locked doors to a wing of small offices and tapped at the door of one. Then he led the boy inside. Seated at a small desk was Ms. Barry with a folder in front of her.<p>

"Hello, Robin," she said. "I hope you're doing well."

Robin didn't know what to say. He knew that it was rude to yell at adults and usually resulted in punishment any way. He decided to say nothing about his feelings on having been ripped away from his only home and friends to this strange and repellent place.

She must have caught something of what he was thinking, since Ms. Barry flushed and sat down again. "Well, Robin, here is where I gather some information about you for our records. I have some questions to ask you." She paused, waiting for an answer that didn't come, then went on. "Now Robin, what is your full name?"

"My name is Robin," said the boy firmly.

"You don't have a last name?" she asked. Robin shook his head.

"Well, what is your real name?" she asked.

"I can't tell you," said Robin. "Batman says that this protects my safety."

"I see," she said. "And you never disobey Batman?"

Robin's eyes narrowed and he replied, "Not anymore, ma'am."

"All right," she said, fighting to keep her cheery smile. "How about your address?"

"In care of Captain Gordon, Gotham P.D.," replied Robin. "Batman says.."

"Yes, I know," she said.

By the seventh question it was clear that the boy wouldn't answer. Teasing, yelling, persuasion, none of the usual methods were working. She began to wonder if the kid were enjoying this, then, looking at his strained young face she had to admit that it wasn't easy for him either. The secretive nature of this child's life she found very worrying.

"All right," she finally said. "In summary, your name is Robin, you will not disclose your real name, last name, parents' names or status, address, age, date of birth or educational level. Is that correct?"

"Yes ma'am," Robin said politely.

Barry wanted to put her head down on the desk but decided to pass the buck. She lifted the phone from its cradle and dialed a number. "Sue," she said. "I have Robin in my office. Why don't you stop by and pick him up?"

A few minutes later a younger blonde woman opened the office door. "You must be Robin," she stuck out her hand and shook Robin's. "I'm the nurse on duty today. We're going to give you a quick checkup."

Robin got up and glumly followed the chirpy nurse to her office down the hall. There, he submitted to a test of his blood pressure, heart rate, reflexes, pretty much the usual, he reflected. Then she got out the blood draw kit and he jumped out of the chair and backed away. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"It's protocol to get a blood sample. We check to see if you have any drugs in your system or have any communicable illnesses," she said, moving forward slowly. Robin went into a defensive stance and wondered what Batman would do. He would think, that's what he'd do. Blood test...they already had his DNA at the court. She wasn't injecting anything, just taking some...okay. Probably safe. He straightened up and held out his arm. "Okay," he said.

Nurse Sue, not knowing how close she'd come to having her head kicked in, gave him her best charming smile, sat him down and took her sample. Afterward, she began to ask medical questions. Like her colleague, she got non-answers to questions about family medical history, Robin's immunization history, health history and just about anything else. Fortunately, she'd read the medical files that had come over from the court and already knew much about this child.

"Now Robin," she said casually. "I understand you broke your arm last year. Would you like to tell me about what happened?"

Robin's eyes went wide, then he said. "No. I don't want to talk about it."

"I see," she said. "I've been asking all the questions so far. I thought you'd like a turn to talk. I understand that Dr. Leslie Thompkins is your doctor. Do you like her?"

Robin froze, not knowing what it was safe to say or not. He decided that a nod wouldn't hurt.

"I'm glad," said the nurse. "It's important to like and trust your doctors and nurses." She paused, waiting for Robin to say something. He said nothing, being used to Batman's long silences.'

"She took good care of you, didn't she?" Sue said. "When you got hurt?"

Robin just stared at her. "Robin, you told the court all about what happened to you," the nurse sighed. "Won't you talk about it now?"

Robin looked away, seeing Harvey Dent's face and hating it all the more because it had put him here.

"Are you afraid that Batman will punish you if you say anything?" she asked gently.

Outrage swamped the boy. "No! Batman would never do that. He loves me and.." Robin realized what he was doing and covered his mouth.

"Batman doesn't want you to talk about yourself, does he?" the nurse asked. "It sounds like he likes keeping secrets. Well, Robin, there don't have to be any secrets here. You can tell me anything you want and I'll listen to you," she said in a soft voice.

"It's dangerous," Robin finally said.

"Dangerous, how?" asked the nurse.

"If they know who we are, they can find us and hurt us," said Robin. "People like Joker and Two-Face."

"So, you and Batman live in hiding?" she asked.

Robin didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing.

"Why don't you tell me about Batman," Sue asked coaxingly.

"There isn't a lot to tell," said Robin grudgingly.

"Okay, well, what is his favorite color?" she asked. "What's his favorite food?"

"He mostly eats healthy stuff, like vegetables. He doesn't like unhealthy stuff."

"So, you he doesn't let you have cookies or candy?" the nurse asked.

"Oh yeah, I do," Robin said. "As long as I eat healthy food, too."

"Where does Batman stay?" she asked.

Robin really didn't know how to answer that one. Batman stayed in the batcave. House rules were no costumes upstairs, so in the Manor he was Bruce Wayne, just like Robin was Dick Grayson. "Um...I guess Batman has a cave," he said.

"And Robin stays in a cave with Batman?" she asked. Robin nodded. Robin's place was in the batcave, while Dick's was at Wayne Manor.

"Are there other people in this...cave?" Robin paused again. He knew he couldn't talk about Alfred.

He replied, "I can't answer."

"Well, does someone else stay in the cave?" she asked, puzzled.

"Uh, I guess the bats do," said Robin, glad to give this woman some kind of answer.

"Okay," she said. "I understand you had some injuries last year. Do you still have any physical problems related to them?"

Robin shook his head 'no'. He wasn't going to mention the right arm twinges. He knew they'd blame Batman.

"And Batman was there when you got hurt?" she asked.

Robin gave her a long look, then nodded hesitantly. "But it wasn't his fault. I disobeyed orders. I wasn't supposed to be there that night."

"But you got hurt and Batman couldn't prevent it," she said. "And was this a typical evening for you two? Chasing criminals?"

"You're making it sound like Batman is putting me in danger," Robin said in frustration. "It's not like that. I can defend myself and I defend him too, sometimes."

"That doesn't sound very safe to me," she said.

Conscious that he'd just hurt his chances of returning home, Robin decided that it was time to clam up. "I don't want to talk about that anymore."

"Is Batman your father? Or a relative?" she asked.

"Not by blood," Robin said slowly. "But I don't really have any family. He's all I have."

"How long have you lived with him?" she asked.

Dangerous question, Robin knew. He shrugged.

"Why aren't you living with your parents? Do you know where they are?"

"Yeah, I know where they are," Robin said sadly. "They're dead."

"Did Batman tell you that?" she asked. For all she knew, this child had been kidnapped and had a family looking for him.

"I know," said Robin. "I saw it happen."

"How is that you came to live with Batman and not someone in your family?" she asked.

"There was no one to take me. Batman was the only one who wanted me," said Robin.

"There have been questions raised about Batman's relationship to you and how …appropriate…it is. Has he ever hurt you in any way? Touched you in your private areas?"

The boy looked her straight in the eye, dumbfounded. Hector was right. This was crazy. "No. He's the kindest, best man on this planet and I wish I were home with him right now!" Robin shouted. "I want to go back to my room now." The boy stood up, trembling with emotion. The nurse just wasn't sure whether the emotion was rage or fear. But the interview was over for now, anyway.

She called the reception desk and had the boy taken back to his room, then sat down to type up her notes. "Child cut short the interview violently when asked about possible sexual abuse by caretaker," she typed. "Child seems to live in cave where there are wild animals (bats-potential rabies vectors?) Homeless? Very secretive about home life and caretaker. Caretaker not related by blood; child is dependent on him, feels he is all he has. Very dominated by caretaker…" She'd heard about homeless people living in the Gotham woods, but this took the cake. What kind of a homelife did this child have?

* * *

><p>Robin had never been so glad to see a dump of a room in his life. The guard, before locking him in, said, "I'll unlock your door at dinner, but you'll have to get yourself there now that you know where it is."<p>

"Okay," Robin called back without moving from his bed. These people were crazy here. When was Batman going to get him out of here?

Robin heard the dinner buzzer and his door automatically unlocked. He joined the crowd of kids in the hallway, grabbed a tray and stood in line for food. Ahead of him in line he could see Hector standing by himself, patiently waiting is turn, when a big blond kid ran up behind him and shoved him over, brutally elbowing him in the side. "Hey, fatso! Get outta the food line! You already got enough lard on you!" the big kid yelled at Hector, who was down on his hands and knees on the floor.

Robin looked around and saw that none of the guards had noticed what had happened. The big kid was winding up to kick Hector in the gut and that made Robin see red. He tossed his tray aside and plowed forward through the crowd, tackling the big kid to the floor. "Now you see what it feels like to be bullied," Robin hissed at the big kid, then found himself levered upright by two pairs of strong hands. The big kid had friends, just as large. Robin's arms were pinned, so he used his feet to drive the two back, but not before the big kid had gotten a good punch at Robin's face. Then all three piled on top of him, punching and kicking. Robin gave as good as he got, then suddenly the kids were gone and the guards had arrived.

Nobody seemed to want to hear Robin's side of things as they dragged him away to a small office. Hector had disappeared.

"He was going to kick Hector! He'd already knocked him down," Robin explained. "I had to help him."

"Uh huh," said the social worker, toying with her pencil. "You're that Robin kid, aren't you? The one with Batman? Well, we don't tolerate vigilante behavior here." She sighed. "Okay, okay, we'll see what this Hector has to say. You say he's about your age? Okay, we'll find him."

A few minutes later, Hector was brought into the office and seated in the other chair.

"Okay, Hector, how about you tell us what happened in the food line?" the social worker asked.

Hector cast her a surprised look. "Nothin' happened. I just tripped and fell. My own stupid feet."

"Hector," Robin said urgently. "That kid pushed you down and was gonna kick you! TELL her!"

Hector looked Robin straight in the eyes and said, "Nope. I just tripped." He turned to the social worker. "Can I go now? I want to have dinner before they close down."

"Okay," said the Social worker. Robin was speechless, but the worker didn't seem surprised.

"Robin, none of the other kids we asked seem to remember what happened except that you started a fight. You'll be disciplined for fighting, potentially losing privileges as punishment. If this continues, we may have to consider a special placement for young people with anger issues. You can go now." She shut her folder and gestured toward the door. She added a note to Robin's file, "started a fight with three other boys. Has significant anger issues."

Robin left and went back to the cafeteria. Josh and Hector were sitting at the table and he saw that they'd filled a tray for him.

Robin stopped in front of the tray, looking first at it and then at Hector. "Hector," he asked finally. "Why did you lie?"

Josh patted the bench. "You gotta know some rules, Robin. The first one is 'don't snitch'. It'll bring more hell down on you than just sucking it up and taking it." He took a bite of his burger. "And besides, the guards and counselors, they don't really do anything to the bad ones, the Locos. You got to survive."

"But thanks for defending me," said Hector. "That kid has been after me since I got here. I'm sorry I couldn't say nothin', but if I did, he'd just go after me even worse, or his friends would."

"It's law of the jungle here, man," said Josh. "You got to understand."

Robin looked down at his tray. "Yeah. I think I understand.

* * *

><p>Matches Malone was at the corner bar just off Crime Alley when he overheard an interesting tidbit of gossip. Two ex-cons of Batman's acquaintance were sharing stories over beer and pretzels when Matches caught the name "Joker".<p>

"Yeah, who'd believe it," the first man laughed. "Old Bats has lost custody of the kid. The Welfare woman and a couple cops took him away last night. It's all over the street, kid's in Juvie with all the foster kids. Doesn't look good for Batman getting him back." He leaned in closer to his companion and said in a low voice. "I hear there's a price on the kid's head. Joker put up fifty thou' and I hear that Two-Face is willing to double that…"

"Really? What's he want?" asked the other man.

"Joker wants the kid dead, simple. But ol' Harvey will pay for him alive and kickin'. He's got some bee in his bonnet about that kid's the one that got away or somethin'. Word on the street is Dent's planning on an appeal an' if he gets a retrial he doesn't want the kid available to testify. Wants to make sure of it himself, if you get my drift…"

The first man nodded. "Y'know, as the word gets around this could turn into a reg'lar bidding war. Lots of people in this town want to get theirs back against the Bat."

"You're not kidding," the second man said. "Wouldn't want to be in that little kid's pixie boots for nothin'! Hey! Shut the door! You're letting the draft in!" he shouted as the doorway to the bar abruptly slammed shut.


	8. Gotham General Hospital

Chapter 7

Matches Malone had made the rounds of the bars in the seedier parts of Gotham and had learned more disturbing news. The bidding war had already begun. Penguin's bid was $125,000 for Robin, dead or alive and Two-Face was expected to counter it. Every two-bit crook in the City was talking about how to score the funds, especially those who had kids in the Hall. 

That night Batman found a battered and tense-looking Robin waiting for him on the rooftop. Batman, dropped to the asphalt. He reached out a hand and tilted the boy's chin to the light, seeing a split lip and a black eye, then picked up the boy's right hand and saw the scraped and bruised knuckles. "What happened to you?"

Robin looked ashamed and embarrassed. "I was trying to keep a bully from hurting Hector and I got jumped. I'm sorry," he said. "Hector wouldn't tell anyone about the bullies. He's afraid of them, so I got blamed for fighting."

Batman sighed. "Robin, I hate to tell you this but I'm afraid this is only the beginning. Matches Malone overheard some people talking tonight. There's a price on your head, dead or alive."

Robin's eyebrows shot up. "Who?"

"It doesn't matter who," Batman replied. "You'll have to be on your guard. Apparently various petty crooks in Gotham are encouraging their young relatives in the juvenile hall to collect on it. Stay in your room, don't go out and watch your back."

Robin's eyes narrowed," They won't get me, Batman. Josh and Hector spelled it out, it's law of the jungle in here."

"Robin, don't let this change you," Batman said with concern, hand on the boy's shoulder. "There may be violent and evil people here, but that isn't true of everywhere. Don't let yourself be drawn in by a criminal culture. Remember who you are and what you stand for."

"I'll remember," said Robin.

Batman forced a smile. "Alfred sends some chocolate chip cookies," he handed the boy a paper sack still warm from the oven. Dick's eyes glowed as he promptly dug out a cookie and stuffed it into his mouth. "And here's something you'll find useful," he said, pulling out a shoebox and handing it to the boy.

Robin opened it and found sneakers in his correct size that looked identical to the ones he'd been issued. "Thanks, Batman," he said, pulling off the oversized shoes. "I've been afraid I'd fall flat on my face in these shoes."

"I want you to stay nimble," said Batman. "Leave the old shoes up here; nobody will notice. And here," he handed Robin a small communicator. "Hide this and call me if you need me."

Robin held the communicator tightly in his hand, then tucked it into his jeans pocket. "How much longer do I have to be here, Batman?" he asked.

"I'll be talking to the social worker tomorrow. Bruce Wayne has offered to foster you, and I'm hoping that will be acceptable to the court. Can you trust me a little longer?" Batman asked.

Robin nodded. "I know you're trying, Batman. I won't give up if you won't. And tell Alfred the cookies are great!" He looked unhappily over his shoulder. "I probably better get back. They do a bed-check in half an hour."

Batman nodded and watched Robin climb down the drainpipe, moving easily in the new shoes. Batman carefully put the oversized shoes down on the asphalt roof and wished that all Robin's troubles could be solved so simply. 

* * *

><p>Bruce Wayne's sleep was troubled that night. He kept seeing Harvey Dent in the warehouse, beating Robin to a pulp with a baseball bat. Each time, the ropes broke just a minute too late, leaving Batman with the broken and lifeless body of his young partner. Finally, he gave up and sat in the easy chair before the fireplace in the Manor library. He couldn't admit it to the boy, but he feared that even Bruce Wayne's clout and money wouldn't be enough. He'd already taken Robin away from Dick once and shattered his self-esteem and trust with it. He couldn't do it to him again, but the danger was inescapable. The word from the streets only got worse; Two-Face was determined to recapture 'the kid that got away'.<p>

And he hadn't told the boy about his meeting with the attorney, Vonnie Baker. Rae Green had recommended her old classmate, a family law specialist, as the one most likely to help Batman. Baker was a mousy woman with brown hair, thick glasses and a serious demeanor. If she felt odd representing a costumed hero, she never showed it. She had gone over the process with Batman and didn't have much hope of winning the next hearing.

"You have to understand, Batman, that you may have no standing to gain custody of this boy. You aren't a blood relative, are you?" she had asked.

"No," Batman said.

"You don't have any formal relationship with this boy that you are willing to disclose?" she asked, her voice showing frustration.

"No, that would divulge our real identities and make both the boy and I targets for various criminals in Gotham," Batman said. "It's a matter of safety."

"Well, unless we can somehow establish you as a 'de facto parent', I don't see much chance," Baker said. "A de facto parent is one who cares for a child and has a parental relationship without having the blood tie. We can try for that. But even so, the basis for the petition is going to be difficult to argue around."

"And what is that? That I'm a negligent parent?" Batman asked.

"There are two arguments in the petition, first that you negligently failed to protect Robin from 'serious physical harm' and secondly that there is a future risk of 'serious physical harm' to the boy because of your past actions. And there's more," she read further and sighed. "They're trying to deny you reunification services."

Batman didn't like where this was going. "What does that mean?"

Baker pushed her glasses up her nose. "Normally, when a child comes under court supervision, the parents are given up to a year and a half to reunify with the child, in other words, to regain custody. In rare, violent cases, the court will bypass that process and declare the parental bond terminated and the child available for adoption immediately. They are requesting that here. You could lose Robin permanently in the upcoming hearing." 

* * *

><p>Robin, exhausted by the day, slept deeply in his bed, not hearing the sound of the door of this room opening or the soft fall of feet. He woke suddenly when hands grabbed him and held him to the bed. His eyes flashed open, but all he saw were shadows looming over him and the sound of laughter.<p>

"Hey, little Robin, gonna clip your wings!" said one voice, young but not a child, Robin noted. One of the older kids, maybe?

"What do you want?" Robin said tensely. Don't show fear. That's what they want.

"Joker's money," said the other voice. "Or maybe Two-Face." Then the first blow came. 

* * *

><p>Batman had given Jim Gordon a temporary cell-phone in case of emergency. As Bruce Wayne sat before the fire, it rang.<p>

"Yes, Gordon," Batman said crisply.

"I'm at Gotham General," Gordon said. "You need to get here."

"What's happened?" Batman demanded, moving swiftly over to the old clock. "Robin?"

"A couple juvenile felons got the key to his room and tried to collect on the Joker's bounty," Gordon said. "Robin's here, but so are his assailants. I'd say Robin got the better end of the deal, but you'll want to talk to him." 

* * *

><p>GOTHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL<p>

Batman strode in through the Emergency Room doors to find Captain Gordon and Alice Barry waiting for him.

"Where is he?" Batman asked crisply, eyes searching the area for his boy.

"They have him in one of the treatment rooms," Gordon said, hands buried in his coat pockets.

"I told you to protect him," Batman focused his attention on Alice Barry. "What happened?"

Barry looked visibly uncomfortable under Batman's glare. "A couple of the older wards somehow got a key to Robin's room. They broke in and apparently attacked him. The counselor on-duty heard the noise and went to check. He saw Robin fighting the two of them; the room was basically torn apart. The counselor called for the other counselors on duty and they broke it up."

"She's not telling you everything," added Gordon. "These 'kids' are seventeen years old with extensive criminal records and were armed with knives. They had their sights set on cashing in on the bounty on Robin's head. We didn't find any keys on the felons, so we're assuming they paid someone to open the door to Robin's room."

Batman's frown was thunderous. "I was afraid of something like this," he said to Barry. "How can you maintain that I'm putting him in danger, when you can't protect him behind a locked door? Gordon, do you know which criminal these youths were planning to sell Robin to?"

"Not yet," Gordon said. "When the doctors are done with them, I'll be questioning them. You're welcome to sit in."

Batman nodded. "I'll take you up on that." He turned back to Alice Barry. "I assume that, under the circumstances, you'll be placing Robin somewhere else for the future? Why not send him home with me?"

Barry's face took on a stubborn look and she shook her head. "No, I don't think that would be appropriate, Batman," she said. "The fact remains that it's your lifestyle that has generated these threats to Robin's welfare. I will look for some other placement for him, however, since the Gotham Youth Center isn't working out."

'Not working out,' Batman muttered to himself silently, his head bowed while he wrestled with his temper.

"Excuse me, but are you Robin's family?" a man in medical scrubs had approached the group.

"I am," said Batman immediately, moving toward the doctor. "How is he?"

"You've got a tough kid, there," said the doctor. "I put in seventeen stitches on his arm and he has some good bruises, but he'll be fine. We'll keep him overnight to check for concussion, but you can see him if you want."

"I would like that," said Batman, following the doctor. "Gordon…"

"I'll be here," said Gordon. "I still have to ask Ms. Barry a few more questions and complete the reports on our young would-be assassins."

Batman followed the doctor into a small treatment room. Robin, in a hospital gown, sat up in the bed. "Batman!" he called out with a big grin. "Can we go home?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," Batman replied. "I see you've had quite a night," he gestured towards Robin's bandaged left arm.

"Yeah," Robin said in a disgusted tone. "One of them got me on my off side. I wasn't paying enough attention. But I knocked one of them out and the other one was going down when they broke us up." His eyes narrowed. "I just wish I knew how they got into my room."

"They paid someone to open it," Batman said shortly. "It seems you're a valuable commodity." He turned to the doctor. "Okay if I stay with him?"

"They'll be moving him into a room shortly, but yes, it's fine," said the doctor.

"So, tell me what happened," said Batman, visually scanning Robin for any other injuries. He relaxed minutely when he saw nothing more than cuts and bruises.

"I woke up pinned to the bed by two goons," said Robin. "They said they were gonna clip my wings and collect Joker's or Two-Face's money, then they started hitting me. I slipped out of their hands and gave 'em what-for until one of them got me," he held up his bandaged arm. "Then the guard got there and broke it up."

"You're not going back there," said Batman. "If you can't sleep at night, they'll catch you out eventually. And no," he said, looking at the boy's eyes. "I can't take you home, unless you're willing to drop Robin and be and ordinary kid. We'll win yet, partner." He glanced toward the door. "I think I want to talk to those young felons."

Gordon sat in the room occupied by the two seventeen year olds, questioning them. One had a bandaged head, two black eyes and an arm in a sling. The other had lost some teeth and had a broken nose.

"So, who paid you?" Gordon asked mildly.

Both youths kept a sullen silence.

"You do realize that you're about aged out of the system," Gordon pointed out. "You're old enough to be charged as adults. Put you in with the adult criminals; no more of these juvenile prisons that are no better than boarding school for your type. If you cooperate, I can see to it that you're treated as erring youth rather than adults," he said with a sarcastic smile.

"All right," said the one without teeth. "We wanted to collect one of the bounties. If we coulda got Robin out of there, Dent's people were supposed to pick him up from us and give us the money."

"Where? And when?" growled Batman from the shadows in the room's corner.

Seeing him for the first time, the youth shuddered. "Uh…we were supposed to drop him off tonight at the old warehouse on Front Street. Out by the docks."

Batman stilled. "I know the place," he said and swept out of the hospital. 

* * *

><p>WAREHOUSE—GOTHAM DOCKS<p>

The place was dark, no surprise. Batman picked the faded crime scene tape away from the doorway and let it flutter to the ground. After that night, he'd hoped never to see this place again. He turned on his high power flashlight and scanned the building's interior.

Judging by the trash and debris, Dent's gang hadn't returned here after the police raided it. His feet crunched on the bits of dirt and paper that had accumulated. He came to a dark stain on the floor and stopped, his boots not touching it and examined it. Robin wasn't the only one with nightmares of that night. He stepped around it, remembering the light weight of the child in his arms, the rasping sound the boy's lungs had made as he struggled to pull in a breath and his own guilt and fear that if this boy died, it was his fault. His fault for involving him in the dangerous games adults played. His fault for offering the boy a chance at closure that Bruce had never had. Still his fault, the danger that Robin was in. He had to make it right.

An overhead lamp burst into light overhead. Batman glanced up to see Harvey Dent on the catwalk. "So, you came!" Dent called down.

"What are you doing out of jail, Harvey?" Batman replied coldly.

"I'm out on bail while my appeal is heard," Dent called back. "We went up on a writ. Justice must be served." Dent looked around the room. "So, where is your partner?"

"In a hospital, thanks to you," Batman grated. "You didn't succeed. He fought off both your would-be assassins."

Dent shrugged. "They were independent contractors anyway. The offer still stands; there will be others willing to fulfill the contract."

"Why do you want him?" Batman flashed his light up at Dent's face. "He's nothing to you."

"Ah, but he's everything to you," Dent pointed out. "Not like you to make yourself vulnerable, Batman. Can it be you're softening with age?"

"You be the judge of that," Batman growled and threw the grapple over Dent's head, beginning to reel himself up to the catwalk.

Dent laughed. "Touch me and I sue. I'm a lawyer, I know how! I'm out legally and haven't broken any law."

Batman, on the catwalk, approached Dent. "Leave him alone. You have enough other projects in play without worrying about one child."

"Ah," said Dent. "But he's the one that got away. He wouldn't play the game, Bats, and everybody plays."

Batman saw the sparkle of a coin in the air, heard the slap of it hitting flesh. "Well, you win for tonight, Bats. I'll be seeing you," Dent said and faded into the darkness.

"Dent, hurt Robin and you'll deal with me," Batman declaimed into the empty room, hearing his voice echo back to him.


	9. The Hendersons

Author's note: Feedback! Please! I see that many people have this story alerted and I appreciate it. But I'd really like to hear from those of you who are reading. Sometimes it feels like I'm posting to a black hole...

CHAPTER 8

Batman returned to Gotham General and found Gordon just finishing his reports. The young felons were staying the night at the hospital in a guarded ward, fortunately in a different wing than the one that housed Robin.

"I can spare you a couple of men to guard Robin's room," Gordon offered as he shrugged on his coat, preparing to leave.

"No, that won't be necessary," said Batman. "I'll be there myself."

"Batman, you have to sleep some time," said Gordon. "Ever since Robin was taken by CPS, I've seen you constantly. I don't think you've had a rest."

"Good night, Gordon," said Batman. "I'll sleep later."

"All right," said Gordon, putting on his hat. "I still have the cell phone. I'll call if there's any news."

Batman nodded, then walked silently to the wing that held his partner. They had put the boy in a single at Gordon's request, isolated at the end of a long corridor. Batman entered the room and found the boy sleeping quietly, so he pulled out a chair and seated himself. He'd learned over the years how to sleep lightly, alert for any unusual noises. It had saved his life more than once. If, as he suspected, Alice Barry and her ilk could not protect Robin, Batman would find a way to do it himself.

Throughout the night, Batman roused several times only to find that the nurses were waking Robin, to check for concussion. Finding nothing, both patient and protector went back to sleep.

The next morning, Batman was awakened by the sound of quiet voices.

"No, don't wake him," Robin whispered to a nurse. "I don't think he's slept much the past few days."

"All right, then," a female voice whispered back. "Here's some breakfast for you, and I'll leave a tray for Batman, too. The doctor will be by a little later to get you released from the hospital. Do you have someone picking you up?"

"I…I don't know," Robin said softly. "I don't know where they're going to put me next. I don't know if they'll ever let me go home. Or even if I still have one…"

"You have a home, Robin," said Batman, sitting up and stretching. "And you'll go there as soon as I can manage it."

"I'm sorry, Batman, I didn't want to wake you," Robin said apologetically.

"Not a problem, partner," said Batman. "Now, what's this about breakfast?" He reached forward and snagged the extra tray, pulling the cover off. "Hmmmm…not as good as what we're used to, but it looks edible."

Robin picked up a piece of toast in his right hand. "Better than what I've been eating." He waved goodbye with his left hand as the nurse left, then winced.

"Arm bothering you?" Batman asked, looking sharply at they boy's bandaged forearm.

"A little," said Robin, tucking the offending arm under the covers. "It'll be okay."

They both ate in a companionable silence until the door opened and the doctor from the prior night came in. "Well, young man, it looks like you'll be leaving us shortly," he said cheerfully. "I'll just give you a quick examination but I'm betting that you're too healthy for us to keep you. Your Ms. Barry is here to pick you up."

Robin's face fell. "Oh."

"I'll go out and speak with her," said Batman. "I want to know where she's taking him." He caught Robin's eye. "Call me if you need me."

Robin nodded as Batman slipped through the door.

"Ms. Barry," he said as he strode down the hallway to the rather tired looking CPS worker. "I understand you're here to pick up Robin."

"Yes," she said irritably. "And it isn't easy finding foster homes, as overcrowded as we are right now."

"I understand that Bruce Wayne, the millionaire, has applied to foster Robin for the time being," said Batman. "Why not take the boy to him?"

Barry's thin eyebrows closed together in a frown. "Bruce Wayne? The society dilettante? Makes People and Us Magazines routinely, each time with a new blonde? I think not. I've already informed the court that he is an unacceptable foster parent for this child. Not only does Robin have anger and aggression issues, but he needs the kind of attention that only a two-parent home can supply. A rich playboy is NOT the kind of role model this child needs. At the very least, Wayne isn't home enough to supervise the boy; he'd be left to the care of that elderly butler of Wayne's. No, that isn't suitable at all."

Batman, who had faced the Joker, Penguin, killers of every stripe, found his temper fraying almost beyond his icy control. Sternly he stamped down on his first impulse, which was to throttle the woman until she turned purple. Taking a deep breath, he asked in a mild tone,"Then where do you plan to take Robin? It doesn't sound like the Youth Center is safe enough for him."

"I've found a placement for him with a family. They're one of my best foster homes and live in a remote part of Gotham County. Robin is lucky that the Hendersons had an opening. The father is a carpenter who makes handcrafted instruments, his wife is a homemaker. You need have no concerns about the boy with this couple."

"I hope not, for Robin's sake," Batman said, stepping aside as Ms. Barry went into Robin's room.

Batman was discouraged from travelling with Robin to his new placement, so instead he followed. Twelve miles outside the Gotham City limits a small farmhouse stood in a grove of pine trees. Batman could see a small brook down the hill and a few horses penned near a classic red barn. The entire property was tidily kept and well-maintained. He decided that some research in the batcave was warranted.

According to public records, and some not readily available to any but police, Gregory and Pam Henderson had owned the property for ten years, inheriting it from Greg's father. Greg was a well-known luthier whose instruments were used by famous musicians world-wide. The couple had been foster parents for five years and had two of their own children. Batman noted that they got consistently superior ratings from the various social workers they dealt with. Maybe this would be a good place for Robin to stay until Batman could reclaim him. Or maybe, Robin wouldn't want to leave. He saw that the Hendersons had adopted two foster children in the past. He had to consider the possibility that maybe Dick would prefer a real family, instead of an unapproachable guardian with an obsession. If that were the case, Bruce wouldn't stand in the boy's way, no matter how much it hurt. He laid a hand flat on the computer in front of him, wondering when Dick had become so vital to his well-being; the heart of the house. If that happened….

"Master Bruce, it's good to see you home. Would you care for some breakfast?" Alfred's voice broke into his reverie.

"No, thank you, Alfred. I had breakfast with Dick," Batman said, swinging the chair around.

"How is the lad?" Alfred asked. "Did he like the cookies?"

How long ago those cookies had been, and so much had happened since. Batman smiled at the old butler. "He loved them. He had a little trouble at the Youth Center last night and they're moving him to a different placement today."

"Trouble?" Alfred's forehead creased. "What kind of trouble?"

"Various criminals have a bounty on him. Don't worry, Alfred, I'm keeping an eye on him," Batman patted the old man's arm. "He's being moved out into the country today. The foster parents sound like a nice couple. I'm going to check with Rachael and see how Bruce Wayne's foster parent application is going."

Alfred nodded, knowing Bruce too well not to realize that he'd been told only half the truth. After the master had run up the stairs, Alfred sat down at the computer, calling up Batman's logs. He didn't know whether the master knew that the old man had long ago broken the encryption, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

* * *

><p>After a hot shower, Bruce put through a call to Rachael Green. The results were not what he was hoping for.<p>

"I'm sorry, Bruce, but they turned you down flat. I get the impression that Ms. Barry is old school in her opinions about family. The fact that you're single and have a public social life were apparently deciding factors," she said over the phone.

"Do we have any recourse?" Bruce asked, toying with his fountain pen.

"I don't think so," Rae said bitterly. "While you have some influence in the Mayor's office, I'm afraid that doesn't cut any ice with the C.P.S. They've taken a turn toward conservative values. That's why your attempts to convert your guardianship of Dick into an adoption haven't been effective. They simply refuse to consider a single man as a parent. You haven't told Dick that we've been trying this, have you?"

"No," said Bruce heavily. "I've told him that I don't want to replace his father, so I prefer to remain his guardian. I don't want him disappointed if it doesn't go through. Damn." He paused. "By the way, thank you for the referral to Vonnie Baker for Batman. He's quite pleased with her."

"Well, I hope she's more successful for him than I've been for you, Bruce. If there's anything more I can do for Batman, please let me know."

"Thank you anyway, Rae. Good-bye." Bruce set the phone down and closed tired eyes. He should probably take a nap, then check on Dick. He wondered what the bidding was up to on the streets. At this point, it didn't matter. Dick was safest as far out of Gotham as possible.

"Sir?" Alfred's quiet voice interrupted his reverie.

"Yes, Alfred," Bruce hid a yawn.

"I've taken the liberty of preparing a hot cup of cocoa and would suggest a cat nap before you leave again," Alfred said solicitously, holding a tray with a mug. "Master Dick wasn't seriously injured in last night's fracas, was he?"

"How did you..?" Bruce asked, then shook his head. He'd always suspected that Alfred was a bit telepathic. "No, just some stitches in his arm and bruises. He's fine. You're probably right," he said, reaching for the mug.

* * *

><p>Robin was taken directly from the hospital to the new placement. Ms. Barry had brought what personal effects he had, packed in a black garbage bag. He sat listlessly in the front seat of the car, watching the trees go by. He'd never really lived in the country; even Wayne Manor didn't exactly count. The Manor wasn't in the country, it had neatly manicured grounds and even the forested areas were pruned regularly. He wondered how he'd handle wild animals. Those of the human variety were old-hat to Robin, but if he ever faced a raccoon or a deer he had no idea what he'd do. Run, probably. I'm a city kid, he admitted to himself.<p>

Finally the car drew near a farmhouse painted yellow and white, with a wide porch running across the front. A red barn stood at the back, next to a large shed. He could see green grass running down a hill to a stream. And there were horses? Wow. This wasn't what he'd expected.

A tall man with shaggy hair and a beard met them in the gravel driveway. He was dressed in jeans and a faded Grateful Dead t-shirt with sawdust on it. Ms. Barry stopped the car and opened Robin's door.

"Greg," she said with a broad smile. "I'm so glad you could help out. This is Robin. Robin, this is Greg Henderson." She gestured toward Henderson and Robin shyly reached out a hand. Henderson caught it up in a big paw and shook hands vigorously.

"We're glad to have you come stay with us, Robin," Greg said. "So, do you wear the mask all the time?"

"I have to," Robin said. "I hope you don't mind."

Greg shrugged. "If you don't mind my wardrobe of 'Dead' shirts, I don't mind the mask." A woman appeared at the screen door, wiping her hands with a dish towel, then came down the steps. She had short, curly hair and wore jeans and a t-shirt as well.

"Hi, you must be Robin," said the woman. "I'm Pam. I hope Greg hasn't scared you away yet."

Robin smiled hesitantly. "No, it takes a lot to scare me."

"Well, we'll take it from here, Alice," said Pam, putting a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Come on in, Robin and I'll show you your room."

Robin heard the car driving away as he entered the house. The inside was as tidy as the outside had been, with well-worn furniture and a comfortable feeling. He sniffed. Was she baking cookies?

"Ah, you smell the peanut butter cookies, do you?" Pam said, laughing. "I try to keep the cookie jar full, but it's a challenge with this bunch. You'll be sharing a room with James, our other foster-son right now. We also have four other children. The twins, Cindy and Charlie, and our adopted kids Taneesha and Stevie. They're all at school right now, but you'll see them when they get home." She showed him a small bedroom in the back with bunk beds in it. "The top bunk is yours, I hope you don't mind."

Robin promptly climbed up to the top and bounced on the mattress a bit. No smell of Lysol and the beds were covered with quilts that looked home made. He thought he could stay here. "Is it okay if Batman comes to visit me?" he asked.

"Of course," said Pam. "We aren't replacements for your family. He's welcome to come see you any time. You can phone him anytime you want, too. Oh, what happened to your arm?" she said as Robin's sleeve pulled up when he swung down off the bed.

"This?" Robin held out his left arm. "Some guys tried to kill me last night," he shrugged. "Batman says that Joker and Two-Face have a bounty on me."

"Oh…" said Pam. "I'd understood that you were Batman's young partner but I had no idea you were in any danger. Hopefully we're far enough outside town that it won't be an issue." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then her face cleared. "Well, let's go down to the workshop and you can watch Greg at work while I finish dinner."

She led Robin to the large shed. Inside it he saw dozens of guitars and other stringed instruments he didn't recognize hanging on the walls. Greg sat at a workbench with a half-built guitar in front of him. Greg looked up and smiled. "Well hello Robin, come on in."

"You make guitars?" Robin craned his neck to look at all the beautiful instruments.

"Yes, and lutes, mandolins and dulcimers," Greg said. "Old fashioned hand-crafting. This guitar is for a folk-singer in Canada," he pointed to the instrument on the bench in front of him. "He's left-handed, so everything has to be in reverse."

Robin sat down on the bench, fascinated. "Wow. I never thought about where musical instruments came from before…."

He spent the afternoon in the shed watching the guitar finished, varnished and hung up to dry.

The kids came home from school and eyed Robin curiously but didn't show the animosity that the kids at the juvenile hall had shown. Robin dared to hope that this might work out.

In the early evening, Pam had Robin peeling potatoes. "Robin," she said. "Why don't you call Batman and ask him to dinner. I'd like to meet him."

Robin stopped peeling, his hands frozen. "Really? You really want him here?"

"Sure. Why not? We'll eat at about six p.m. Why don't you call him?"

"Uh..okay," Robin put down the peeler and his potato, then fished in his pocket for the mini-transmitter. "I'll go outside, if you don't mind."

"That's fine," said Pam with an indulgent smile. "Let me know what he says."

Robin activated the transmitter. "Batman? This is Robin. Do you read me?"

Batman's voice crackled immediately from the transmitter. "Batman here. What's wrong? Do you need help?"

"Uh..not exactly. I'm at the new foster home and Pam, the foster mom, wants you to come for dinner tonight," Robin said hesitantly.

There was a pause, then Batman's voice came over the speaker. He sounded amused. "All right. What time? I need to tell Alfred."

Promptly at six p.m. the batmobile pulled up the gravel driveway of the farm house. Robin and five wide-eyed children sat around the dinner table while Pam and Greg conversed with his guardian. Robin was very entertained by the juxtaposition between Bruce Wayne's smooth social manners and the dark persona of the Bat.

"Don't you think so, Robin?" he heard his mentor ask.

"Hmmm? What Batman?" Robin asked, blushing a bit. He'd lost the train of the conversation at the sheer novelty of the dinner.

"Wouldn't you say that crime is decreasing in Gotham?" Batman asked, his eyes amused.

"Well, I sure think it has since I joined the team," Robin said forthrightly. "Can I have more cornbread, please?"

"Robin, you'd think we didn't feed you at home," Batman said. "But I have to admit, Pam, that you're a wonderful cook."

Pam smiled at both her costumed guests. "More cornbread for both of you, then." She disappeared into the kitchen.

Greg took a sip of his soft drink. "So, Batman, we know that our having Robin is something a bit unusual. Alice has filled us in on Robin's situation and you should know that we have no opinion of the court case. We're here simply to provide Robin with a home for the time being. We prefer to work with the parents of our charges and not oppose them. However," he focused on the costumed hero. "I do need to know whether I should retrieve my shotgun from the gun-locker and keep it by my bedside. Alice said something about an attack last night?"

Batman sipped his coffee. "I'd suggest that the Robin might like to show the kids the batmobile while we have our discussion."

Torn between hearing the discussion and showing off batman's beloved car, Robin sighed, put down his napkin and got up to lead the five awed children out to the front of the house.


	10. Robin

CHAPTER 9

After the children had left the room, Batman sat down with Greg and Pam. "I'm sorry you have to be put in this position," Batman began. "Since Robin was taken by the CPS and his location has become known, various crimiinal elements have been trying to kill or kidnap him, largely as an attempt to get to me." He paused, then went on. "I will protect your home to the best of my ability, which is considerable, but I dare to hope that you live remotely enough that criminal reprisals won't be an issue."

"And how do you plan to protect us, Batman?" asked Greg, his face solemn. "Do we hole up in the house, waiting for trouble?"

"No, I wouldn't recommend that," said Batman. "Go about your normal routine. I'll be watching and will intervene only if needed. I don't like guns much, but if having your shotgun handy is a comfort to you, by all means load it and keep it handy." Batman smiled grimly. "Robin will also be able to assist. I've brought his uniform with me as well." He reached into his utility belt and retrieved a small transmitter. "If you have any trouble, call me with this or use Robin's transmitter. I'll be here."

"Thank you, Batman," said Gregory uncertainly. "I don't know whether to feel confident or scared to death. But Robin seems like a nice kid and we'll try to do our best for him."

Batman nodded. "I'm grateful to you for your taking care of him, especially since this keeps him away from that Youth Center. He is a good kid. You won't have any trouble with him." Batman gave them a slightly embarrassed smile. "I've also brought a suitcase with his street clothes in it. That will get him out of his prison-wear when he isn't in his Robin uniform. I would ask that you let him keep the mask on."

Pam replied, "We understand. Alice explained it to us. All the kids go to the local elementary school. We'd normally take Robin too. Is that all right?"

Batman considered for a moment, then said. "All right. I don't want him to miss too much school because of all this. Normally he's in the fifth grade."

"Okay, then we'll bring him with the kids tomorrow," Greg said. "And now, let's check on your car; I want to make sure it's still in one piece after my kids have been at it!"

They followed Batman out to the front of the house. There, Robin was sitting in the drivers' seat of the batmobile describing its features while five awed kids hung on his every word.

"And this button closes up the canopy. It's bulletproof and can be armored so that bullets can't hit us..." Robin was saying, then saw Batman on the porch and stopped with a blush.

"Don't let me interrupt you, Robin," Batman said, biting back a smile, and headed for the car's trunk. "Open the trunk, Robin," he said. Robin found the control and activated it, to the sound of "Ahhhhhhh..." from the audience of children. Batman reached in and removed a black duffel made of rip-stop nylon, then handed it to Greg. "This should cover the immediate future. If Robin needs anything more or if you have any concerns, feel free to call me," Batman said, moving toward the car's drivers' seat.

"Batman," said Pam, running out with a foil-wrapped package. "Here's some cornbread for the road."

"Thank you, Pam," said Batman, taking it and heading for the Batmobile. "Okay, Robin," He gestured at the door. "Scoot! I have to get to work."

"Patrol?" Robin opened the drivers' door and got out, then eyed the car longingly.

"Something like that," said Batman, climbing in. He carefully set the cornbread on the passenger seat. "You'll be going to school tomorrow. Wear day clothing or your uniform, but keep the mask."

"I will, Batman," Robin said, one hand sitting on the batmobile. He sighed and moved away to join the rest of the mob of children. "Will I see you soon?"

"I'll be by in a few days," Batman said. "In the meantime, stay alert and obey your foster parents."

"Yes sir," said Robin glumly. He couldn't go home yet, and now he had to go to school. Life was definitely not good just now.

Batman fired up the batmobile, to the great entertainment of the children, and headed back down the gravel driveway.

Robin watched the batmobile drive away until the dust settled.

"Robin, it's getting cold. Don't you want to come inside?" asked Pam. Reluctantly, Robin looked away from the drive.

"I guess so," he said sadly and followed Pam back into the house.

"I've got cornbread if you still want some," Pam said, eyeing him with sympathy. "Or some of those peanut butter cookies."

"No thanks, I'm not really hungry," Robin said, wandering into the living room after the other children.

"All right, Sweetie," said Pam as she went into the kitchen to do the dishes.

"So, you really are Robin?" asked Taneesha. "I just thought you were some weird kid with a mask."

"Yeah, I'm really Robin," replied Robin uncomfortably. "But I'm really just a kid like anybody else."

"Is it true that you fight with bad guys like the Joker, just like the Batman does?" demanded Charlie. "And you even fought Two-Face!"

"Uh…well, Batman is better than me," said Robin. "And I didn't exactly fight Two-Face, although I did help catch him."

"Yeah, well you still got stuck in foster care," said James, coming over quietly. "You're in the same situation I'm in. And Taneesha and Stevie, until the Hendersons decided to adopt them."

"No, I'm not," Robin challenged. "I have a family and I'm not looking to be adopted out."

"You hope," said James. "I got my family taken away from me. My brothers and sister are all in different foster homes, and I'm in permanent foster care. Dad's in jail and Mom got her rights terminated because she drinks too much."

Robin's face changed. "I'm sorry all that happened to you, but Batman doesn't drink and we don't have those problems," he said sympathetically. "He'll get me back." He looked around, trying to change the subject. "What do you guys do out here? I don't see a t.v. set."

Cindy shrugged. "We're so far out we can't get cable and the t.v. reception is pretty bad. Mom just took the t.v. out, said it's a waste of time anyway."

"No computer? No video games?" Robin asked in outrage.

"Nope," Charlie replied. "Nothin' but books, games and the farm. And the other kids, of course." He grinned. "We get that complaint a lot from the foster kids. They aren't used to it."

"Oh," said Robin, matching his grin. "Well, not that I get to watch much t.v. I'm out with Batman most nights, unless I've got homework to finish. But I do miss having a computer; I like to keep up on things."

"Like what?" Charlie asked.

"Well, for one thing, I want to know how Two-Face's trial is going, whether the jury's found him guilty yet," Robin said, gnawing at his lower lip.

"Oh, that's easy," said James. "Didn't you hear? He's out. His lawyer's appealing his case and Two-Face is out on bail until that's settled. Hey, are you okay?"

Robin caught his breath and willed the blood back into his face. "I'm okay," he said as casually as he could. "I'm just…surprised. So, he's out, huh?" Now why didn't Batman tell me? He didn't want me to worry, that's why…and he knew I would if he'd told me. He saw the black duffel that Batman had brought and went over to it. "I might as well unpack and maybe change clothes," Robin said.

"Yeah, you'll want to get out of those Youth Center clothes," said James. "C'mon, I'll show you your dresser."

James led Robin into their shared room and pointed to a small white chest of drawers. "That one's yours and you get half the closet."

"Thanks," said Robin, opening the top drawer, then unzipping the duffel. "Oh, good," he said, lifting the uniform out of the top. "And he remembered the boots, too," he murmured, running a hand over them.

James watched in fascination as Robin became the Boy Wonder. When Robin clasped the belt around his waist, he felt much better, almost normal.

"So what do you keep in that belt?" James asked curiously.

"Uh…stuff," Robin said. "Smoke bombs, radio transmitter, evidence bags, stuff like that." Explosives, batarangs, throwing stars…he silently added.

"Wow, like we could smoke bomb Greg's shed," James said eagerly.

"No, we couldn't," said Robin firmly. "Batman would be really mad at me if I played with any of this stuff. It's for work, not play, and some of it is dangerous."

James put his hands behind his back, fingers just itching to get to that belt. "Hey, I was just sayin'. Come on, they don't have t.v. but Greg usually brings out his guitar and plays." 

Robin followed James into the living room. Greg was already sitting on the couch, a twelve-string guitar in his hands. The kids were sitting on the floor at his feet, three of them playing cards and one reading a book. Greg's eyes widened a bit as he saw Robin in costume. "Well, hello Robin. Got your regular clothes on I see. Come one over and join us." Robin shyly came over and sat next to Greg on the couch. James sat next to Robin.

"This is a twelve string guitar," explained Greg. "I like to practice in the evenings. You don't have to listen if you don't want to, but usually the family gathers in the living room and plays games or reads."

"Sounds fine to me," Robin said, eyeing the guitar. "Did you build it yourself?"

"This?" Greg smiled at the guitar. "Yes, she was my first guitar. I wanted a twelve string and couldn't afford one, so I learned how to make one. You want to hear her sing?"

Robin spent the rest of the evening until bedtime quietly listening to the twelve string guitar, feeling the tenseness in his body gradually easing. He actually felt sleepy that night. He put on his pajamas, carefully taking off his uniform and folding it on the chest of drawers. 

NEXT MORNING 

James woke Robin up the next morning in time for school. Grateful to have his uniform back, Robin decided to wear it that day. Watching Robin dress, James watched in awe and something like hero-worship.

"You're so lucky, Robin," James said, admiring Robin's uniform with envy. "You're important. People admire you. And you get to do such cool stuff. I bet you even know Superman."

"I do," Robin said, putting on the tunic while James held the cape ready. "He's kind of like an uncle. But it's no big deal, really," he said, uncomfortable with the almost hungry looks James was giving him. He'd never really thought that his life was that enviable.

"Wish I could be like you," James said, handing Robin the cape. "Is it true that you beat up crooks?"

"Yeah," Robin replied, fastening it at his neck. "But they beat me up too. Sometimes I'm scared." He reached out for the belt that James handed him.

"You sure you don't want to try one of those smoke bombs?" James asked pleadingly.

"No, I don't think it would be a good idea," Robin said, tugging to make sure that the belt was secure, then putting on the boots.

At breakfast he felt the multiple round eyes of the kids staring at him and wondered briefly whether it had been a good idea or not, then shrugged. Robin was who he was. Get used to it.

The teachers at the school were perplexed about what to do with him, then finally relaxed and treated him like just another student. A series of placement tests put him in the fifth grade and many of the text books were the same as those he used in his regular school. 

* * *

><p>¼ MILE AWAY <p>

Batman settled in the tree branch he'd adopted and munched on the sandwich Alfred had packed. He lifted the field glasses to his eyes and scanned the playground. Robin had chosen to wear his uniform today which made him easier to spot. Well, that and the gymnastics the boy couldn't resist doing on the jungle gym, the parallel bars and any other stationary equipment available. Batman smiled a bit. Robin's spirit was irrepressible and he was grateful for that quality. The boy had brightened his and Alfred's lives in a way he could never have predicted when he had chosen to adopt him.

Batman heard a whooshing noise and turned to see a blue and red figure floating next to his tree branch.

"Clark, you're going to draw attention," Batman growled.

"And you won't?" Superman asked in a wry tone. "I didn't expect to find you sitting in a tree."

"You must know why, by now," Batman replied, putting the binoculars to his eyes again.

Superman moved to his left and took a seat on the branch next to Batman. It creaked, but held them both. "You know I follow the newswires. I came when I heard about Robin and the Child Protective Services. Can I help?"

"I doubt it," said Batman. "Have you heard about the underworld's reaction?"

"Yes," Superman said grimly. "The echoes have reached Metropolis. What is the bounty up to now?"

"A million," Batman said. "Anonymous bidder. Could be anybody. Scuttlebut says it's a consortium of criminals currently in Arkham." His hands tightened on the binoculars as he looked.

"I see," said Superman. "Regarding the legal aspects of your problem, I just want you to know that the League is concerned. We're following your case and planning to submit an amicus curiae brief in your support. We'll stay with you as long as it takes."

Batman put the glasses down and eyed Superman doubtfully.

Superman met his gaze directly. "Some of us plan to have children, others have young apprentices to train and don't want to see them end up in foster homes because of our…ah…lifestyle. Robin is the first and, unfortunately for him, the test case. I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone in this."

"That's good to hear," Batman replied. "If I can keep Robin alive that long... Hmmm, looks like school's out for the day." He packed his binoculars away and began to climb down the tree. When he reached the foot of the tree, he turned to Superman. "You tell the JLA lawyers that I'll handle this my own way."

"Bruce, you need our help. Why can't you admit that?" Superman shouted at Batman's retreating back. He got no answer. Shaking his head in frustration, Superman took off for home. 

* * *

><p>THAT EVENING<p>

Ms. Julie Longfield, fifth grade teacher at Roosevelt School just outside Gotham City, was enjoying her post-work glass of red wine and a good gossip with her sister. "I'm not kidding, Cindy, Robin the Boy Wonder is in my class! He started today and he was wearing his costume and everything. Such a cute kid, too! He'll be a heartbreaker when he grows up."

Cindy, busily stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce for herself and her live-in boyfriend, Karl, laughed at her sister. "Oh come on now, Julie. He's just a kid. Did you get a look at Batman, now? They say he's kind of grim but has a really good body and lots of muscles? No? Well, you should call him in for one of those parent/teacher conferences and get a look at him. Oh, and he's living with that guitar-maker? Nice people. That's great…Okay, I'll call you next week. Bye." She began to spoon marinara sauce over the pasta in the big bowl. She brought it over to Karl, who was sitting at the table having a cigarette.

"What was that Julie was saying about Batman and Robin?" Karl asked, stubbing out the old cigarette and taking a swig of his beer.

"Not Batman, but it looks like Robin is one of her students. He's been put in a foster home nearby, that dead-head who makes guitars? I guess that's where he'll be staying for now," she spooned spaghetti onto their plates. To her surprise, Karl got up and grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going, Hon?" Cindy asked, perturbed. "You haven't eaten your dinner."

"I just remembered some business I've got to take care of," said Karl hurriedly. "I think our ship just came in." He leaned over and kissed her. "I'll be back later." He almost ran to the front door and was quickly into his car. She heard the engine revving outside and the tires squeal as he shot away, leaving her with a cooling plate of spaghetti. 

* * *

><p>HENDERSON HOME-11:30 P.M.<p>

All was quiet and dark when a back door quietly opened and a small figure in a yellow cape tip-toed out of the house. He walked past the shed and the barn, gravel crunching softly under his booted feet. His outline was lit softly by the starlight and quarter moon overhead.

Unseen by the figure in the yellow cape, the Bat crouched behind some farm equipment nearby. He had been watching the farm for the past two days, since Robin had arrived. At this moment, he was irked at Robin for leaving the safety of the house. He was preparing to break cover and meet the boy, give him a strong lecture on safety, when he heard running footsteps on the gravel.

Batman turned and saw black-clad men, each armed with a gun. One silhouette tapped its neighbor on the shoulder and pointed at the boy. Both took aim and began shooting. Robin jerked and fell to the ground.

"Robin! NOOOOOO!" Batman shouted, throwing batarangs over his shoulder and running for the boy, now still and bleeding on the ground. As he ran, he heard the sound of shotgun fire. Greg had heard the noise and returned fire.

Batman came upon the crumpled figure and could see the blood drenching the boy's uniform. Gently, he rolled him over, feeling frantically for a pulse and finding none. He was beginning to perform CPR as Greg ran up to him.

"They're gone, Batman! What…? Oh my God…" Greg spun to a stop, shotgun in hand.

"Call 911," Batman, kneeling next to Robin, gasped and continued the compressions. "Get an ambulance. NOW!"


	11. The Death of Robin

CHAPTER 10

Batman continued CPR. As he did the compressions and the breathing he gradually became convinced that it just wasn't working. The boy wasn't moving, wasn't breathing, wasn't living any more.

No. He had to try. He couldn't give up. How could he tell Alfred that Robin had been killed? That he'd failed to protect him? He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see a helmeted paramedic, with two more heading up the dark hillside.

"How long have you been doing CPR?" asked the paramedic.

"About twenty minutes," said Batman, pausing in the compressions so that the paramedic could take over. Batman slowly climbed to his feet, giving the paramedics room to work. One paramedic set up portable lights, illuminating the area. Batman was glad of the light; it was almost black as pitch out.

Batman felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Gordon standing there. The police had arrived. "I'm so sorry, Batman," Gordon was saying.

"I couldn't prevent it, Jim," Batman could feel his hands curling into fists. "If he'd been at home…or with me…" He turned to Gordon, wanting to punch someone. "If Robin hadn't been in a damned foster home, this wouldn't have happened!"

"You can hit me if it'll make you feel better," Gordon said gently. "But it won't do anything for Robin."

Batman's fists uncurled. They had loaded Robin onto a stretcher and were putting him into an ambulance.

"You can ride with me if you want," Gordon said, trying to catch Batman's gaze.

Batman shook his head. "No, I'll take my own car. I'll get there faster."

On his way back to the batmobile, Greg Henderson waylaid him. "Batman, I've got to talk to you!" Greg panted, trying to keep up with Batman's strides.

"Later, Greg," Batman held up a hand. "We'll talk later." Batman put on speed and soon left Greg behind in the dark and chaos. 

* * *

><p>GOTHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL <p>

The drive to the hospital was as short as Batman could make it. As he'd expected, he beat Gordon there by a good ten minutes. He went into the Emergency Room, by now a much too familiar place. The nurse took one look at him and immediately waved him toward the back treatment rooms. A second nurse stopped him from going into the trauma center itself.

"I'm sorry, Batman," she said sympathetically, pointing to a chair. "Have a seat. The doctor will be out when there's news." Batman nodded and sat, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall. He ran his mind back over the events of the evening, trying to find something he could have done differently, some way he could have made a difference. The optimal thing, of course, would have been to kidnap Robin out of the foster home. He smiled bitterly. Of course, that would have opened a new can of worms. Each time he'd made Dick retire from crime-fighting, the result was the same. The kid just ran away, usually turning up as Robin whenever Batman needed him most.

"Is this seat taken?"

Batman opened his eyes to find Jim Gordon standing there uncertainly.  
>"Go ahead and sit down, Jim," he growled low. "I won't hit you. It's not your fault."<p>

"It's not yours, either," Gordon said, taking the chair next to Batman.

"Yes it is. I should have protected him; that's my job," Batman glared at the blank walls of the room.

"You did your best," Gordon replied. "You've been guarding him all week; don't think my men haven't seen you."

"You had me followed?"

"Let's just say, I've been checking up on you periodically. I'm betting you haven't had a night's sleep in a week," Gordon challenged him. "One man can't do 24 hour surveillance on a boy and a city without paying for it."

Batman wouldn't meet Gordon's eyes. "Have you been talking to Superman?"

"He came for a visit. He was as concerned about you as about Robin. Said you wouldn't accept help," Gordon leaned in toward the Bat. "That's what friends are for, you know."

Batman was about to deliver a stinging reply when the door opened and a man in surgical scrubs came through. "Batman?" he said softly.

Batman shot to his feet and approached the doctor. "Yes."

The doctor looked sadly at the man in costume. "I'm very sorry, but we weren't able to resuscitate him. We tried very hard, but there was just too much damage and blood loss."

Batman stilled, his fists clenching tightly. "Can I see him?" he forced out in a hoarse tone.

"Of course," the doctor said and led Batman through the door and into a deserted operating theater. "I'll be back in a few minutes," the doctor said.

Batman approached the body on the table, shrouded by a sheet. He saw the spatter of blood that surrounded the area, saw the shreds of Robin's costume on the floor, the boy's mask tossed onto the top of the pile. Absently, he picked it up as he approached.

He forced a trembling hand up toward the covering that hid the body that lay there so quietly, pausing there a moment. When he saw Dick's face, it would all be real. Dick had never been so still in his entire life; even when he slept, he thrashed and kicked. Batman had collected bruises in his side and legs from long stakeouts when the boy had fallen asleep. He finally realized that he couldn't delay any longer. How was he ever going to tell Alfred?

He pulled the sheet down and looked at the boy's face and then jerked in reaction. Still staring at that pale face, Batman backed away from the table and leaned against the wall and bent over, breathing hard. He heard a gentle tap on the door and the doctor was in the room.

"Batman? Are you all right?" the doctor asked.

Batman pulled himself upright and nodded silently, then said, "I assume that Gotham P.D. will want to autopsy the body. It's usual in cases like this. This should be included in the effects." He handed the mask to the doctor. "Please make sure that all portions of…Robin's costume go with the body."

"Yes," said the doctor. "I'll see to it."

Batman nodded and slipped through the double doors. Gordon met him outside and prevented him from rushing out to the batmobile and away as fast as possible.

"Batman, I'm so sorry about the boy," Gordon said. "I can't tell you how much. Is there any way that I can help?"

Batman looked at Gordon, expression stony. "Yes, as a matter of fact, Jim. There is something you could do for me." He grabbed Gordon's arm and pulled him back into the private waiting room. 

* * *

><p>THE FOLLOWING DAYS<p>

The next day the front page of the Gotham Gazette carried the headline in large type: "ROBIN MURDERED AT FOSTER HOME" along with pages of articles describing the famous exploits of Batman and Robin. Billionaire Bruce Wayne was rumored to be funding the boy's funeral expenses, although the Coroner still had the body so far. The foster parents refused all interviews, going about tight-lipped and sad-eyed. It was rumored that there was a plan to put up a memorial to Robin, the Boy Wonder, to be funded by donations from the children of Gotham City. And the criminal element of Gotham City was said to be rejoicing at the prodigious blow to the Batman.

The JLA released a statement of sympathy for Batman. Batman himself said nothing and refused all interview requests via Captain James Gordon. 

The day after that, Superman flew in to Wayne Manor and insisted on meeting with Batman. Alfred did his best to protect his master's privacy, but Clark was persistent and finally made his own way into the batcave. He found Bruce seated at the computer complex, focused wholly on the murder investigation.

"I'd have thought you'd be taking time off to mourn," Superman said, arms folded. "Bruce…You have to let yourself grieve."

"I don't have time for grief," Batman said, not turning around. "I have murderers to catch. I've managed to follow their paper trail. A man named Karl Johanssen was paid a million dollars by a consortium of felons headed by the Joker for the murder. Johanssen had a partner, Paul Thomas who shared in the payment. Apparently, Robin's teacher told her sister that Robin was in her class. Johanssen's girlfriend is the sister." Batman slumped in his chair. "So much for our attempts at security. I let Robin wear his uniform to school…I was a fool."

"Bruce," Superman stepped forward and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You aren't omnipotent. You couldn't know that the information would travel such a direct line so quickly."

Batman met his friend's gaze for the first time. "It's my fault. If I'd been thinking, acting faster, this wouldn't have happened. A boy is dead because of my mistakes." He turned back to the computer. "I've given Gordon all my findings. He and his men will be picking up Johanssen and Thomas tonight. They'll be tried for the murder." 

* * *

><p>Four days after the murder, Batman drove into Gotham City and parked the batmobile in front of a large multi-story building. He strode down a long, anonymous hallway to an equally anonymous conference room. He tapped on the door and Alice Barry opened the door.<p>

"I've been waiting for you, Batman," she said solemnly. "I must say that I've never had a case even remotely like this one." She sighed. "I had never considered the dangers of having Robin in our system."

"I don't think that any of us expected this level of violence," Batman replied, sitting down at the conference table. Barry nodded. "I'll leave you for now," she pulled open the door and left the room.

Shortly thereafter, a second door opened and a child entered the room. He was short for his age, with his dark hair in a very close-cropped buzz cut. His heart-shaped face broke into a grin and his brown eyes sparkled. "Batman!" he shouted and ran to the man, giving him a big hug which was promptly returned. Batman gave a low chuckle and ran a hand over the boy's crew cut, then held him out at arms-length. "Still hating the buzz-cut, Robin?"

"I feel like I'm bald," the boy replied. "And you're supposed to call me Robert, you know. When you're undercover, you always make me call you by your cover-name."

Still grinning, Batman replied contritely, "I'm sorry, Robert, I forgot. Are the contact lenses working out okay?"

"Yeah," Robert replied. "Although it still feels weird looking in the mirror. I don't look like myself at all. And the clothes…."

"It will keep you safe," Batman replied, hands still on the boy's shoulders. "That night, I thought you had died!" He shook the boy a little. "It wasn't until I saw the body that I knew you were alive! I still feel responsible for that other boy who got killed in your place. He died because he was wearing your uniform."

Robin's face fell. "Yeah. James was really bugging me about my costume and how he wished he could be Robin. He really wanted to play with my utility belt, but I wouldn't let him. After I was asleep, I guess he put the whole uniform on and went outside. I know he wanted to use the smoke bombs." He looked up, his face pale at the memory. "Then I heard the shots and I was getting ready to investigate outside when Pam made me go with the other kids and hide.

"I'm glad you didn't go outside," Batman said. "You probably would have been killed too. Pam and Greg are good people. They are keeping your secret and making sure the kids do too. As far as the world is concerned, Robin is dead. And that even includes Superman and the JLA. But I blame myself for James' death. I wasn't watching closely enough. The fact is, somebody died because I wasn't fast enough. Still, Captain Gordon has arrested the killers and this time NOBODY knows where you are except you, me, Captain Gordon and Ms. Barry. Are you staying in character?"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Yes, Batman. I slump a little, have poor posture and don't stand like Robin does. I'm wearing baggy clothes and hip hop jeans with my underwear sticking out. And I'm almost bald!" He ran a hand over the top of his head.

"You can live like this for a while," Batman said sternly. "Remember what happened to James. Are you getting along with the Carters?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Robin replied. "He's…kinda weird. I don't know what it is but he makes me uncomfortable…"

Batman exhaled. "We don't have many choices at this point, partner. If you have problems, let me or Ms. Barry know. The court date is coming up and I'm hoping to get you back. You have to stay undercover, Rob..ert. And I know that Alfred has been worried about you."

"I'm fine, Batman," Robin replied sturdily. "I just have to get used to Hamburger Helper and macaroni and cheese for dinner."

Batman smiled. "I think that's what worries Alfred the most."

The inside door opened again and Ms. Barry motioned to the boy. "Well, I guess I got to go now. Will I see you soon?" Robin asked.

Batman nodded. "In a few days, partner. Stay safe."

* * *

><p>Robin sat in the car going back to his foster home. He sighed, looking out the window. He missed Batman and home more than ever now and Batman wasn't the only one who felt guilty about James. Robin had taken off his mask for the night because the spirit gum that held it on made his skin itch. So he'd left it in on the chest of drawers just for the night…just this once. James must have seen his chance to play Robin and it had killed him.<p>

Now, when he looked at himself in the mirror, Robin only saw 'Robert', a boy with brown eyes and a different life. He felt dumb in the falling-down pants but had to agree with Batman that these were about as far from Dick Grayson as he was likely to get. He was now the smallest and skinniest kid in his grade and he didn't dare fight back when bullies picked on him, lest someone figure out who he was. His sympathy for the ghetto people he and Batman had protected was growing; now he knew what it felt like to live in fear.

"Penny for your thoughts, Robert," said Ms. Barry, behind the wheel.

"Just wishing I could go home," said Robin sadly. "I wish this were all over and I could just be me again. I'm tired of being scared all the time."

Mrs. Barry frowned at the windshield. "But doesn't your life with Batman scare you? I mean, you see violent people all the time and sometimes they hurt you."

Robin turned to her. "But then I'm with Batman. I know that nothing will ever be that bad when he's there with me. Right now…I'm just a little kid, being moved around by grown-ups. I'm being hunted by people who will kill me if they find me. And Batman isn't allowed to protect me!" He pounded on the door with his fist. "I'm not even allowed to protect myself because they'll figure out who I am!"

Looking shaken, Ms. Barry pulled the car to a stop in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Gotham. "It looks like we're here, Robert. I'll check on you in a few days."

Robin opened the car door and got out, slowly walking up the yellow lawn to a shabby blue house behind a chain link fence. He opened the front door and reluctantly went inside.


	12. Betrayal

CHAPTER 11

The house looked pretty much the same as it had that morning. The carpet was threadbare in the small living room, with Good Will quality couch and easy chairs. Robin began to pick up the children's toys scattered throughout the room, tossing them into the laundry basket set aside for them. He heard multiple voices shouting from the back of the house and wished with all his heart for the silence of Wayne Manor.

"Hey, Rob! You're back," said Tiffany, his foster mother. She was thirtyish, with a weedy, long-limbed body clad in K-Mart clothing, mostly stained with her children's' Kool-Aid. Robin noticed that she had a new bruise along one cheek that hadn't been there that morning. She held a grimy toddler in her arms and pulled a four year old by the hand along behind. "How'd your meeting go?"

Rob shrugged. What was there to say? He wasn't going home yet. "It was fine. My..Dad..was glad to see me."

"Good," said Tiffany, delicately pulling her blonded hair away from her face. "Would you take Billy out and play with him? Hal's at work but I want to be sure to have dinner for him when he gets home." Robin nodded and picked up the four year old. He noted that Billy'd had more Kool-Aid at lunch since he had a red mustache and liberal amounts spilled on his shirt. Billy grinned at Robin, his new favorite playmate. "We gonna swing?" Billy demanded.

"Yup, we sure are. And if you're good, I'll do some back flips just for you," Robin assured the child. Billy started to bounce in Robin's arms until he had to put the child down and follow him to the back yard.

He kept Billy active and entertained until dinner, doing back flips, cartwheels, handstands and gymnastics along the top of the swing set until Billy was laughing out loud. Doing his old routines brought home a tiny bit closer and he was startled when he heard applause. He turned and saw Tiffany with her husband, Hal, standing on the back porch. Hal, a balding man in his thirties, wore a sleeveless white undershirt with worn jeans, cigarette perched between his lips and beer can in hand.

"Hey!" Hal shouted. "Where'd you learn to do that? Circus?" Hal laughed at his own humor. "You oughta be earning money with that."

Robin did a round-off from the swing set to the ground and stuck the landing. He'd be damned if he'd slack off on his skills, disguise or not. He shrugged as he approached Hal. "It's nothing. I learned it in gymnastics at school. Billy likes it," he pointed to the four year old, glad to change the subject. "Billy!" he turned to the four year old. "Show Daddy what you can do!"

Billy nodded solemnly, then turned a slow somersault on the dry grass. His father gave a laugh and went over to pick up his son. "Good for you, Billy!" He said, putting the beer can down. "You'll be a regular Olympian some day!"

Tiffany smiled. "Dinner's ready, boys. Why don't you come inside?"

Robin followed the little family into the house. At the tiny dinette, he sat between Billy and the baby in his high chair, silently wishing he were eating Alfred's cuisine when Tiffany dished up his share of tuna casserole. He ate the bland stuff, trying to imagine it was bœuf bourguignon. He had to smile, realizing that somehow he'd become a gourmet in the past couple years with Bruce Wayne. He'd eaten tuna casserole with his parents, but somehow it had had more flavor then.

"Penny for your thoughts," Tiffany interrupted his reverie.

"Oh, nothing," Dick said hastily. "Good casserole."

That night, Tiffany and Robin did the dishes together: he washed and she dried. He wore her oversized rubber gloves since his arm was still bandaged. Hal had gone out to meet some friends to discuss a 'business opportunity'.

"It's been a long time since I did dishes like this," Robin said pensively, scrubbing at a plate. "Not since I helped my Mom…"

"Oh, you're Dad's a widower?" Tiffany asked as she took the plate, dried it and put it away.

"Uh…something like that," Robin said, working on cereal bowls next. "We used to talk about all kinds of things."

"It's nice to be able to do that," Tiffany replied, drying the first bowl. "That's one of the reasons we decided to get a foster kid. I feel all alone in the house with only the babies. It's nice having someone I can have a conversation with."

"What about Hal?" Robin said, eyeing her bruised cheek closely. "Isn't he good company?" He scrubbed the last bowl and started on the silverware.

"Hal? Oh…oh yeah, he's great company but he's not here all the time. He works when he can pick up side jobs," Tiffany focused on scrubbing the cereal bowls bone dry. "He works really hard when he can get a job…"

"And then he loses the job?" Robin asked, going from forks to knives. "He's been laid off a few times, hasn't he?"

"A few times," Tiffany reached for the forks and began to dry them. "It's a tough economy and the last guy hired is the first fired when they need to cut the budget."

"So….how did you get that bruise? Really?" Robin focused on Tiffany's body language, as Batman had taught him.

Tiffany froze at the question, eyes wide. "Does..does it show that badly?" she lifted a hand to her cheek.

"Not so bad," Robin focused on the knives he was washing, not meeting her eye. "But it doesn't look like you ran into a door. I can see finger marks in the bruises." He narrowed his eyes, remembering how his own cheek had looked after Harvey Dent had slugged him. Oh yeah, he knew what that looked like.

"How could you…?" She looked own, abashed. "Don't tell anyone, will you Robert? This could get Hal put in jail and we need his income and they'd take you away from me. We'd lose your stipend, too."

"Is that why you're staying, Tiff?" Robin asked incredulously. "To be sure that the kids are fed?"

"Can you think of a better reason?" she shot back. "What happens to me isn't important. My kids are and they need a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. And besides," she put down the dish towel, grabbed a paper towel and blew her nose into it. "And besides…Hal isn't bad all the time. He just gets frustrated and loses his temper sometimes."

Robin hunched his shoulders, scrubbing furiously at the spoons. "Does he hit you very often?"

"No, not often," Tiffany reassured him. "And he won't hit you. He doesn't touch the kids."

"He'd better not," Robin murmured, starting on the frying pan.

"What was that?" Tiffany asked.

Robin looked over at her, seeing the tired eyes, thin body where the bones showed through, mussed hair and couldn't stand to add to her burdens. "Okay. I haven't seen anything or noticed anything." He put the clean frying pan into the rinse water, then looked over his shoulder when he heard a loud cry. "Sounds like the natives are restless."

Grateful for the change of subject, Tiffany smiled. "Would you go check on them, Robert? I'll finish here."

Robin found the toddler crying in his play pen and Billy playing with toys while the television blared, unwatched. To Robin's dismay, he found the channel turned to the news station. The reporter was describing the elaborate memorial service being planned for Robin the Boy Wonder.

Robin felt his face grow red at the fulsome praise 'Robin' received for his heroism, public-spiritedness and talent. I'm just a kid, he thought to himself. I just learned acrobatics before I could walk, there's nothing special in that. I wonder if Batman has to go to this? He'll hate it, all the crowds, people trying to get his attention…. His attention was brought up short by the next person to be interviewed: Harvey Dent. His face seemed to be looking right out of the television set at him.

"So, Mr. Dent, are you pleased to have won a new trial?" the reporter asked.

"Oh yes," Dent replied, the smile puckering the scarred side of his face. "I am innocent and I'm confident that the new trial will bear that out. My attorney and I are ready to defend my good name. There are just a few small problems to be overcome."

Robin startled when he heard the front door slam and Hal stormed in. "Tiffany!" he shouted, glanced into the living room and headed into the kitchen. Robin stayed in the living room but couldn't help hearing the argument in the other room. Soon he heard the crashing sound of dishes breaking and Tiffany crying.

Uncertain, Robin got up and felt his fist clench when he heard the unmistakable sound of a fist hitting flesh and Tiffany crying out. He made sure that Billy was absorbed in his toys, got up and quietly entered the kitchen.

Tiffany was crouched on the floor, hands over a black eye while Hal loomed over her, hands balled into thick fists, his back to the door. He smelled strongly of alcohol. Tiffany caught sight of Robin and fearfully caught his eye and motioned for him to get away.

"Hal?" Robin said quietly. "Leave Tiffany alone."

"Hey," Hal turned around and spotted the boy. "Don't interfere with what doesn't concern you! She's my wife and I'll punish her if I want." He cracked his knuckles. "Or I'll give you what I gave her."

Robin's chin went up in defiance. "Try it," he said, moving easily into a defensive stance.

Hal swung at the boy but, to his surprise and dismay, the boy was gone when the fist should have connected. Instead, Hal got a firm kick to the gut and bent over with an "Oooof!"

Robin now stood between Hal and Tiffany. "Don't you touch her, ever again," said Robin. Hal turned again to face the boy and got a kick in the teeth for it. Spitting out blood, Hal was enraged and rushed the boy but wasn't able to catch him. The kid seemed to bounce off the kitchen counters, the cabinets, the wall and each time peppered Hal with blows until finally Hal was on his knees bleeding from his nose, his mouth and half a dozen other places where he wasn't already bruised. Finally the man held up both hands in surrender. "Okay! Okay! Stop already!"

The boy eyed Hal watchfully but stopped moving. "You won't ever hit Tiffany or anyone in this house again or you'll have me to deal with," Robin threatened.

"Okay, I won't hit anybody" Hal got out through bloody lips. He lifted a hand to wipe the blood away and climbed painfully to his feet.

"I think you better leave until you cool off," said Robin, remembering Batman's usual solution to domestic fights.

Hal glared at the boy, then at his wife, who cowered back at him. "I'm going to Steve's for the night," he said and shambled out of the kitchen. They heard the front door slam several moments after, then the sound of Hal's truck pulling into the street.

Robin exhaled and relaxed his stance, then turned to Tiffany. "Do you need help?" he asked as she got to her feet.

She reached for a paper towel and dabbed at her eyes, then stopped. "Rob, your arm is bleeding," she said. Robin looked at his left arm and found a spreading bloodstain.

"I think I popped one of my stitches," Robin said, sighing.

"Let me take a look," Tiffany said and unwrapped the gauze and examined his arm. "That looks like a knife slash," she said, frowning at Robin. "Not like what you told me, that you fell off a bike." She reached into a drawer and pulled out a roll of gauze and scissors. "I don't think you need the stitches replaced, but it is bleeding a bit." She dabbed at it with a bit of gauze and began to rewrap Robin's arm.

"That was pretty incredible fighting, Robert," she said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Um…well, my…Dad… taught me most of it. He's a black belt in judo." And a few other things.

"Uh huh," Tiffany replied. "Well, anyway, thank you for standing up to Hal for me. And for protecting me."

Robin frowned. "If he tries anything like that again, tell me."

Tiffany smiled. "My hero." She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be sure to call you if I need rescuing."

ERNIE'S BAR—GOTHAM CITY—LATER THAT NIGHT

Hal sat at a table and was met by two men. "Hey, guys, thanks for coming out on such short notice."

The first man leaned on the table while the second remained hidden in the shadows. "Well, this better be good, Hal. We've got important business we should be doing."

"Mr. Cortina, I wouldn't have called if I weren't serious," Hal said earnestly. "You know, how everybody is saying that Robin is dead? I think maybe he's not and I know where he can be found."

"What makes you think that?" asked Cortina, lowering his voice.

"I met this kid and he gave me this," Hal pointed to his broken teeth and nose. "I only ever saw fighting like that once. I watched Batman and Robin take down Emil Ravek, the Butcher. The kid, he was incredible. It was like he was weightless, bouncing and flying around and hitting Emil's men from out of nowhere. Well, this kid fights the same way; I don't see how there could be two of them in Gotham City. So…what's the information worth?"

The man in the shadows murmured something to Cortina, who nodded. "Does the kid have dark hair? Is he wearing a mask?"

"No mask and it's hard to see hair color because he's got a really short buzz cut," Hal replied. "He's got a bandage on his left arm, a big long one. He told us he fell off his bike."

"That's him," said the man in the shadows, moving forward into area lit by the hanging lamp. Half the man's face was handsome but the other half had been destroyed and was a mask of scarring. "I'll pay you ten thousand dollars cash if I can pick him up tonight."


	13. Revenge

CHAPTER 12

3 a.m. THE BATCAVE

Batman had finished his patrol for the night and not for the first time missed having Robin at his back. He wondered how the boy was doing in this new foster home. It troubled him that he'd cut Dick off so short when he had complained that he had a bad feeling about his new foster father. Batman had checked up on Hal Carter and found no overt criminal history, although he'd had a few juvenile convictions for petty thievery. It could simply mean that Hal hadn't been caught as an adult. Batman trusted his own instincts and had encouraged Robin to develop his own. He decided that he'd make contact with the boy later in the day, maybe as Bruce Wayne. He could invent a charitable errand; membership to a new boys' club or something. That decided, Batman pushed back his cowl and settled in at the computer in the batcave. This was his time to follow the newswires and see what his pre-set searches had brought up. The first article brought him to his feet.

"Damn!" he muttered. Harvey Dent had won his appeal. The appellate court had determined that the Miranda warnings hadn't been proper and Dent's admissions were inadmissible. The current case was a mistrial and Dent would get another trial. Robin was in even more danger than before, since his testimony was the only evidence remaining to tie everything together and that could hang the attempted murder charge on Dent. Worst of all, Dent was out on bail until the next trial, so he had the means to dispose of this one troublesome witness. He checked his watch and debated with himself whether he should go and get the boy right now or wait till morning and call the social worker. He took a deep breath and reminded himself about being an officer of the law. If he and Robin were to fight crime in the light of day, they had to obey the law. To turn away from it would make them fugitives and Batman had had enough of that his first years as a costumed vigilante. He wasn't anxious to subject Robin to it. Okay, he'd wait.

* * *

><p>3 a.m. THE CARTER HOME<p>

"He sleeps in the back bedroom," Hal whispered as he unlocked the front door. "Don't make noise. I don't want my wife involved in this. She likes the kid."

The two men followed him through the darkened house to the small back bedroom. Hal opened the door, followed by the other two men. As Hal hit the switch for the overhead light, the boy's eyes opened and he started to yell but Dent was too fast. He had a hypodermic needle ready and stabbed it into the boy's body. He held a hand over the boy's mouth until he stopped struggling and his eyes closed, then he unwrapped the gauze bandage on the boy's left arm until he could see the wound. "Yes, it's a knife wound," he muttered. "My boys in the juvenile hall got Robin in the left arm." He ran a hand over the boy's hair. "Dark hair, that's right. He's the right size. When I hear his voice, I'll know for sure. Do we take him?" He fiddled for a coin in his back pocket and flipped it on the bedcover, then picked it up. "Okay, he's ours. Bundle him up and be sure to take all his belongings and open the window so it looks like he's only run away."

Cortina wrapped a blue blanket around the child, leaving only his face uncovered, while Hal gathered the few meager clothes that 'Robert' owned. While he was packing those into a sack, all three men froze at the plastic sound of something clattering to the floor. Dent bent over to pick it up and found a tiny transmitter. The twisted smile on his face grew broader with triumph. "Oh yes….we have the right little bird in our net. Now we can invite Batman to the shooting party." He tucked the transmitter into his pocket and motioned to Cortina to pick the boy up. The three men moved out of the house, to the front porch and out to the car parked on the street. The boy was put into the back seat and Cortina waited in the car. Dent was about to get in next to him when Hal grabbed him by the arm.

"Okay, where's my ten thou'?" Hal demanded. "You said that's what you'd pay for the kid."

"All right," said Dent. "I have your reward in the trunk. Come this way," he said and led Hal to the back of the car. He opened the trunk while Hal waited and watched.

"Let me consult a higher power about your reward," Dent replied and flipped his coin. The marred face came up. "All right, it seems you get your reward right now," he said cheerfully, and reaching into the trunk, pulled out a gun with a silencer and shot Hal through the heart. Watching the corpse with a surprised face fall to the ground, Dent tossed the gun into the trunk. He heaved the body up and into the trunk, then slammed it closed. "You know where to go," he said to Cortina when he'd taken his seat in the car. They drove off, leaving nothing but a puddle of blood on the street in front of the house.

* * *

><p>8:00 a.m.<p>

Bruce Wayne lay sleeping as peacefully as he ever slept, when he heard an insistent ringing sound. Coming up to consciousness, he realized that it wasn't the house phone, which would have been answered by Alfred in any case, but the small cell phone he had given to Gordon in case of emergencies.

Bruce scrabbled around the clutter on his nightstand and finally located the cell phone. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes with one hand, he held it to his ear and hit the button. "Batman," he said into the receiver. "What is it, Gordon?"

"I'm sorry to call so early, Batman," said Gordon's voice. "But it looks like Robin ran away some time last night. Have you seen him?"

Bruce's eyes flew wide open. "No. No, I haven't. Why do you think he's run away?"

"His foster mother says he went to bed last night at about 9:30 p.m. as usual, but when she went to wake him for school this morning, he was gone. She found his window open and the dresser empty."

By this time, Bruce was up and dressing hastily. "I don't think he ran away. I'll meet you at the foster home in ten minutes, Jim." In t-shirt and shorts, Bruce picked up a small transmitter from the night stand and turned it on. "Robin? Robin, do you read me?" he said crisply into the transmitter and got no answer. "Robin!" he repeated, then checked to be sure the transmitter was fully charged. It was. With the hand holding the transmitter, he ran his forearm over his eyes. He didn't like what he suspected.

His bedroom door opened and Alfred leaned in through the opening. "Is there a problem, Master Bruce? I thought I heard a telephone ring."

Bruce looked up tiredly at his oldest friend." Robin's gone from the foster home. Gordon says it looks like he ran away."

Alfred's eyes widened. "But you don't think so, sir?"

"Harvey Dent won his appeal; his confession is now inadmissible and he's won a new trial. Robin is the only witness to the murder. Robin's transmitter doesn't answer. Do the math," he said, swiftly heading down the hallway to the batcave entrance with butler following closely.

"Is there anything I can do, sir?" Alfred asked anxiously.

"You can pray," Batman said over his shoulder as he opened the old clock.

* * *

><p>8:15 a.m. THE CARTER HOME<p>

James Gordon was standing in front of the house talking to Tiffany Carter when Batman arrived. Tiffany was crying into a wadded up Kleenex, looking red-faced and red-eyed in her chenille bathrobe, and looked startled when the batmobile parked.

"What's Batman doing here?" she asked Gordon when Batman walked up to the pair.

"I can explain that," said Batman. "The boy you were fostering is of…particular interest …to me. I need to find out what's happened to him. Would you mind showing me his room?"

Still puzzled, Tiffany led Batman and Gordon into the house, through the living room and down the hallway to the tiny room in the back where Dick had slept. They watched as Batman quickly searched the room. The small dresser was empty, as was the closet. Finally, Batman got on a knee and pulled the bed spread up to reveal the area under the bed. He reached in and removed a pair of boy's sneakers and set them very gently on top of the dresser and said in a controlled voice, "He didn't run away. He was taken."

"Are you sure, Batman?" Gordon asked.

"I'm afraid so," Batman said. "I'll take these with me, if it's okay with you. And I'd like to see the area outside the window."

He and Gordon, followed at a distance by Tiffany, went around to the back of the house and the soft dirt outside Robin's window. Batman examined it thoroughly, but finally said with a sigh, "No footprints. If anyone had taken him through the window, we'd have footprints. Gordon, could you have uniformed officers canvas the neighborhood, see if anyone saw anything?"

"Will do. And I'll have them issued a photo of…Robert…see if the neighbors have seen him," Gordon replied. "Don't worry, we'll find him."

"I hope so," Batman said, then turned to Tiffany, eyeing her new black eye and old bruise. "Has anything unusual happened since Rob..ert arrived?"

Tiffany bit her lip and looked down in embarrassment. "I..uh..don't know if this is important but Robert broke up a fight last night between my husband and I.."

Batman stiffened. "What happened?"

"My husband…uh..hit me in..in…the eye. Robert had noticed my cheek before and figured out that Hal had done it. ..Anyway…after Hal hit me in the eye, suddenly Robert was there punching and kicking Hal. He made Hal leave me alone and told him to get out of the house to cool off." She smiled incredulously. "Could you believe he told Hal that if he touched me again, he'd have to deal with Robert? Anyway, Hal said he was going to stay at his friend Steve's tonight. Hal should be at work by now." She twisted her hands. "You..you don't think that something happened to Robert because of that, do you?"

Gordon came up to her and handed her the telephone. "Would you call Hal's work and see if you can find him?"

Both Gordon and Batman watched as she called first Hal's employer, then his friend Steve to discover that Hal had been seen by neither since the previous day and hadn't stayed with his friend. "Does Hal have a favorite bar or restaurant that he likes to go to?" Batman asked, while Gordon was ordering an all-points bulletin for a missing boy named Robert.

"Yes, he goes to Ernie's Bar a lot. It's just a couple blocks that way," she said, pointing down the street.

"Do you have a current photo of Hal?" Batman asked. Tiffany, looking more and more upset, found a picture and handed it to him.

"Do you think Hal…did something….to Robert?" she asked, looking at Batman closely.

"We don't know yet, Mrs. Carter," said Batman in an even voice. "For right now, we just need to find him to ask a few questions."

Gordon closed his cell phone. "Meet you there?" Batman nodded. Following Gordon out the door, he was stopped by Tiffany.

"Wait! Batman," she said. Batman returned to the porch, followed by Jim Gordon.

"Yes?" he said, shortly.

"Rob was really good at gymnastics and said that his…Dad…taught him how to fight so well. He's yours, isn't he? Robin isn't dead at all, he's been living here with me, hasn't he?" Tiffany demanded on the edge of hysteria.

Batman sighed and rubbed his eyes under the cowl. "Please….Tiffany…please don't share your suspicions with anyone. For the boy's sake. Regardless of who he really is, he's the boy that helped you last night and is now missing. And if Hal turns up, would you call Captain Gordon of the Gotham Police Department as soon as possible?" Gordon reached past Batman to hand her a business card.

Tiffany nodded, her curiosity satisfied. "I won't tell anyone. And I'll call if Hal comes home. And Batman, I hope you find him. He's a good boy."

The two men walked down the walkway until Batman's sharp eyes caught something in the street. "Jim, look at that. Under the back of that parked truck."

Batman strode toward a dark puddle half-covered by a pickup truck. Shortly, Gordon joined him, squatting next to it.

"It looks recent," Gordon said. He dipped the end of a handkerchief in the middle and they both watched as red liquid stained the cloth. "Blood. It's still liquid."

"It's a large puddle," Batman said, carefully bending down to examine it visually. "It's a lot for a child to lose."

"We don't know that it's his," Gordon said, standing up. "I'll have forensics out here," he said, carefully folding the handkerchief and tucking it in his pocket. "We have Robin's DNA; we'll test a sample and rule him out."

"Or confirm it," Batman replied, eyes focused on the blood pool.

"Let's get to the bar. Maybe we can find Hal and determine what actually happened to the boy," Gordon said, his voice roughened.

Batman nodded and said nothing. They both went to their respective cars and drove away.

* * *

><p>9:30 a.m. ERNIE'S BAR<p>

"Oh yeah, Hal," the owner said. "Yeah, I see him in here all the time. But I couldn't tell you if he was here last night. I was home. Jerry, the evening bar tender would have been here. He could tell you. He gets on-shift at 3 p.m. You'll have to come back here tonight. Sorry I couldn't be more help." He handed the picture back to Gordon.

Gordon and Batman met on the sidewalk. "I'll have a uniform come by and ask some questions. I'll call you when I get answers," Gordon said. "We'll find him."

Batman just looked at Gordon. Yes, they'd find him, but would it be a live boy or a dead body? Batman moved toward the batmobile.

"Where are you going?" Gordon asked.

"The warehouse on Front Street, where this all began," Batman replied.

* * *

><p>10:00 a.m. WAREHOUSE, 12TH AND FRONT STREET<p>

Batman stopped at the door to the warehouse he'd begun to loathe, and moved the crime scene tape aside again. The door creaked open, casting bright sunlight through the opening and into the dim interior. He stepped inside, the dust tickling his nose.

Looking up into the rafters, he saw nobody present and heard no unusual noises. He walked slowly into the large room, hearing his boots crunch on the dust. He stopped when he saw a small, black box. It lay in the middle of the stain, left by Robin's blood when…He reached over and picked up the box, turning it over. It was Robin's transmitter. Gripping it in his hand, he decided to search the warehouse inch by inch if necessary. Slowly, he paced the perimeter of the huge place with flashlight in one hand to look into the nooks and crannies. Finally, his eye caught sight of a figure wrapped in a blue blanket partially hidden by some crates.

He ran to the corner and knelt next to the unmoving figure, and laid a hand on the blanket pulling it away from the figure's head, then from the body and gazed at the face.


	14. The Promise

CHAPTER 13

He ran to the corner and knelt next to the unmoving figure, and laid a hand on the blanket pulling it away from the figure's head, then from the body.

He let out a long breath that he hadn't known he was holding. Not Robin. Not even a child. The blanket covered a paunchy man with dirty blonde hair and a gunshot wound to the heart. He pushed the crates aside and dug into the man's pants pocket for his wallet. Inside lay a drivers' license in the name of Henry Carter, a twenty dollar bill and folded slip of paper. Batman unfolded it and read it. In a familiar near-illegible scrawl, it said "IOU $10,000, Harvey Dent, Esq." Batman was reminded of a lawyer joke that Harvey had told him in the old days, when Two-Face was still an unmarked, crusading District Attorney. Harvey'd always known all the best lawyer jokes and shared them liberally. Dent had been one of Batman's most trusted friends and he had been tempted to share his true identity with him, but had decided not to out of an abundance of caution. Batman was older now, and wiser. He trusted few people now with personal data. He sighed and tucked the note into an evidence bag. That Harvey was long past.

He noticed that the body's hands, which had seemed to lay one on top of the other, actually were folded over something. He pulled away first one hand, then the other and discovered a small brown bird underneath. Batman gently slid a hand underneath the bird and saw its bright red chest. A robin. It was a robin. Dead. As he lifted the tiny body to look more closely, Batman saw that its wings fell loosely way from the body, broken.

He put the bird back, left the evidence bag on the body and ran to the batmobile. Once inside, he called Captain Gordon and advised him of his find and peeled out as fast as the car would go.

"I'll send a CSI team out to the warehouse, "Gordon said. "Dare I ask, what significance you put on the note?"

"At a guess," Batman replied. "I'd say that Hal Carter sold Robin to Two-Face for ten thousand dollars, but got a bad turn of the coin. The note has Harvey's signature and makes reference to his favorite joke."

"And what was that? He told a lot of lawyer jokes in the old days," Gordon said with regret.

"The one where a dying man gives his friend, the lawyer, all his money on condition that the lawyer make sure the money is buried with him in his coffin…" Batman replied.

"Oh yeah, so the dying guy could 'take it with him' and the lawyer put a check in the coffin for the amount and kept the cash," Gordon said with a laugh. "I always liked that one." Then his voice turned grave. "And the bird? You know that Harvey's been fixated on you since his face was destroyed."

Batman's expression went stony and he floored the gas. "I can't tell, Jim. If Harvey is still obsessed with me, he won't kill Robin until he has me there too, so that I can witness it. That gives me a little time; but it doesn't tell me what will happen to Robin in the meantime. But if not…"

"If that dead bird means his obsession has shifted, we need to get there as soon as possible. Where are you headed?" Gordon asked.

"I need to pick something up first. After that, I have a guess about where they are," Batman turned toward the entrance to the batcave.

"What are you picking up?" Gordon asked.

"Some insurance," Batman replied. 

* * *

><p>Robin woke slowly, his mouth feeling like cotton and head pounding. He was cold, and realized that he'd felt that way for a long time. He slowly opened gummy eyes to find himself in a room, empty of furniture, with a cement floor and a fireplace that had been bricked up. He tried to sit up, but discovered that his hands were tied behind his back, arm over arm. He remembered who tied prisoners that way and shivered. He levered himself up to a sitting position and also remembered, to his disgust, that he was in pajamas and not his Robin uniform with utility belt. He didn't even have shoes, so nothing to use as a weapon. He began to look around the room. Anything with sharp edges? Something to cut this rope….it wasn't plastic, more like a natural fiber. Probably the same kind of hemp Two-Face had used before, so it should be possible to cut it with a sharp edge…yeah…that would work.<p>

His feet hadn't been tied, so he scrambled to his feet and backed over to the brick fire surround, found a sharp edge and began working on the rope. Eventually it began to loosen. He worked it and his hands were free.

Rubbing his wrists, he paced the room looking for an escape. There was no window; this room must be in a basement. There was a small ventilation grill, but the vent was too small to climb through. That left the door. He gently tried the door knob, but it was locked. No lock picks and nothing to substitute. Take the pins out of the hinges? He knelt and began trying to pry the pins out with his fingernails. A shrill inner voice told him that this was useless, he was just hurting his fingers and breaking his nails for nothing.

He heard footsteps from the hallway and backed away from the door, but not in time. It opened with a crash and caught him on his left side, jamming his bad arm. Darn it! He staggered away from the door and the two thugs charging in, then launched himself at them while they were still surprised. Since his goal was to slip past them and not to immobilize, Robin was able to squeeze through the two startled men.

Down a dusty hallway the boy ran until he came to a flight of stairs going up. He could hear the thugs running after him. He sprinted up the stairs, hoping to find an exit door somewhere on the upper floor. He slammed the door open and ran through as fast as he could and into a narrow hallway, then discovered his pathway blocked by a group of men. Before he could stop, he had run into the man in the center, a tall, shadowy figure in an odd suit. The thugs caught up behind him and a half dozen hands grabbed and held him. The suited man backed away and dusted off his suit. Someone turned the hallway light on and Robin found himself facing Two- Face.

The boy's eyes widened and he tried to back away without success, unable to move from where he stood.

Two- Face's grotesque smile became broader. "Well, hello young Robin. We've been waiting for the fun to start. I'm so glad you're awake at last."

Robin gulped and decided to go for it. "I'm sorry, sir, but my name is Robert. I'm not whoever you think I am. I need to go back to my foster home."

Two- Face started laughing, while his henchmen grinned but still held him in place. Two-Face stopped suddenly and crouched down, looking directly into Robin's face. "I recognize your voice even though you aren't in your little Robin suit today. You don't even have hair anymore." He reached over and brushed a hand over Robin's head. "That must have hurt. I never liked crew cuts myself. But I'll try to make it up to you. Too bad Batman isn't here; it's always so much more fun when he joins the group, don't you think?" Two-Face gave him a solemn look. "But first, you need to be punished for breaking out of your room and disturbing my men." His hand shot out and grabbed Robin's right arm above the elbow, then grasped his wrist with the right and twisted. Hard.

Robin felt the pain shoot up to his shoulder and sagged down to his left knee, crying out as he felt the bone go *snap*. Shuddering, he fell to the floor as Two-Face dropped him and stepped away. Desperately, Robin held the arm close to his chest, cradling it in the left with tears streaking down his face. He wouldn't ask why. He already knew the reason. Breathing hard and gulping in air, Robin crouched and waited for what was to come.

"We need more room if I'm going to show you what I got for you," Two-Face said brightly. "Back downstairs, shall we? Boys, help Robin back into his room." His expression darkened. "And don't let him go wandering again." Two hoods grabbed his arms and pushed him forward. When they lifted him by his broken arm, Robin moaned then welcomed the blackness that followed.

He woke up too soon, in a cold sweat on the cement floor in the downstairs room. The two hoods leaned against the wall, watching him. Through bleary eyes he noted that each man was armed with a pistol in his belt. Robin closed his eyes again, taking physical inventory. His arm was a burning pain attached to his shoulder and he suspected he was going into shock. Batman clearly hadn't found him, but he wasn't going to rule him out either. The best option for the moment was playing possum and denying Two-Face his entertainment. Either Batman would get here or he'd try to gather enough strength to get one of their weapons. If only he were in his uniform. The utility belt had a dozen gadgets and his boots had steel toes. But one thing Robin knew, he wasn't a frightened nine year old this time. He wasn't going down without a fight this time.

While Robin huddled on the floor, the door opened. Harvey Dent's voice floated over him. "What's this? The Little Bird is sleeping? Can't have that! You wouldn't play before, you'll play now!"

Robin remained still, hoping Dent would think he was still unconscious, but it didn't work. He felt a blow to his leg and a second to the small of his back. His eyes flew open and he gasped as first his leg, then his back spasmed. He curled into a ball, trying to edge away.

"I thought you were faking," Dent commented smugly. "After you ruined my old bat, I got you a nice new _aluminum_ one! Ain't she a beaut?" Dent swung it over his head and eyed Robin with a cold expression. "Are you ready to play the game now?"

"No!" Robin shouted, white-faced. "You cheat! Why should I play?"

"I didn't cheat," Dent replied with a distasteful expression. "I fulfilled the letter of our bet. You didn't want the judge to hang, and he didn't. He drowned. If you expect to understand the Law, you have to pay more attention to detail."

While Two-Face ranted, Robin focused on his next move. 

* * *

><p>Batman had the feeling that time was running out as he rushed into the batcave. "Have you got it?" he shouted to Alfred from the batmobile.<p>

"I do, sir. I've tested it and it works," Alfred replied, tossing a small box to Master Bruce as he opened the door to the batmobile. Batman opened the box, removed its contents and slipped a small piece of metal into his gauntlet.

"Are you going after Master Dick?" Alfred asked.

"Yes," Batman replied. "I think I know where he is. Call Leslie and have her on stand-by, just in case." He slammed the car door and tore out of the batcave.

With a worried expression, Alfred sat down to the telephone with a sigh. 

* * *

><p>There was one other place Harvey Dent would probably associate with Robin. The last Batman had heard, the Hennessey family, terrorized by Two-Face that night, had moved out and tried unsuccessfully to sell the place. The house at 2020 Doubleday had been vacant ever since, slowly falling to pieces. Just the sort of hideout Two-Face would favor.<p>

Batman crept over to the silent house. There were no apparent occupants, no cars parked in the front. He spotted no sentries. If Dent and his gang were here, they were occupied with something inside the house. Batman frowned heavily and moved faster toward a side entrance. He jerked as he heard a familiar voice, crying out in pain. He swiftly pried open a window and slipped inside the house. He followed the sounds to the basement, down the stairs and to an open door.

One glance was all it took and Batman's compressed rage broke surface in a volley of kicks and blows. The hoods literally didn't know what hit them as Batman put first one, then another out of commission. He skidded to a stop when he heard the sound of a gunshot and whirled to find Two-Face holding a gun to Robin's chin.

"Go ahead and beat up my employees, Batman, but if you do, the bird dies," Two-Face smirked. "It's always so much more fun when you're here, anyway. I do like having you in the audience."

Batman stared into Robin's dull eyes, knowing that he had no choice. He dropped the batarang he was holding and put both hands up. "He's just a boy. You said it before, he shouldn't be here. Let him go home."

"Oh no," Two-Face said. "He's not just a kid. He's your kid. He's worth something to you. What'll you give me for him?" Two-Face cocked his head to one side.

Batman took a deep breath. "You say Robin wouldn't play the game. How about this, Harvey, I'll flip you for him. Clean side and you let Robin and I go free without any further harm."

Two-Face snorted with derision. "What do you take me for? How about you flip the coin and if you get the clean side, Robin alone goes free without any…further…injury?" Dent looked at his young hostage. "You stay here. If the marked side turns up, you both stay here, no resistance. And you die."

Robin shook his head slowly. "No…Batman…you can't."

"You remember the promise you gave me when I made you Robin again?" Batman asked, looking directly into his ward's eyes. "You swore."

Robin's eyes closed and he turned his face away, tears running down his cheeks. Batman had allowed him to become Robin again if he kept his original oath to Batman and obeyed orders without question.

"Even if it means watching you die?" Dick had asked.

"Without hesitation," Bruce had answered.

Robin opened his eyes and met his mentor's gaze. "I understand," he said. "I'll keep my promise."

Batman gave him a half-smile and nodded.

"This is all very boring," said Dent. "Now, we flip the coin!"

"Wait!" Batman moved forward and put a palm out. "It's my toss. Give me the coin."

Dent frowned, uncertain, then nodded and handed the coin to Batman. Batman left it in the palm of his hand and closed the other hand over it, then removed the covering hand and gave the coin a flip. It landed in his palm, clean side up.

"I win," Batman said evenly. "Let him go."

Dent unwillingly pulled the gun away from Robin's chin and lifted his hands away from his body. Robin slowly straightened up and met Batman's eyes in a long look, then limped slowly from the room.

Two-Face and Batman stared at each other, then Two-Face smiled broadly and raised the gun, pointing it at his enemy.


	15. A Place in the World

CHAPTER 14

Robin limped out the doorway of the house and looked around him. Oh yeah, he remembered this place, 2020 Doubleday. He should have known. He had an idea where the batmobile was probably parked. He wished he could move faster; Batman didn't have much time.

He'd promised Batman long ago that he'd abide by the original terms of his oath to him and to obey orders absolutely, even if it meant watching Batman die. Well, okay, he'd sworn and he intended to keep his word. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try to prevent the watching Batman die part. And what was this thing that everyone was fascinated with his crew cut? Even Two-Irritating-Face was running a hand over it! He'd be glad to grow out the darned thing as fast as he could when all this was over.

Ah, the batmobile. Robin keyed in the code to the door with his left hand and carefully slid inside, favoring his arm. As the armor of the car crawled around him, sealing him in, he felt a vague relief. He felt safe for the first time in days. No, can't let go yet. He could collapse later. He leaned over the seat and pulled out the first aid kit. Batman's first aid kit was the functional equivalent of a paramedic's, reasonable under the circumstances.

Opening the lid, he took out an inflatable cast and wrapped it around his right forearm, then pulled the tab that activated it. As it inflated, he felt a combination of relief and pain with the constriction. An elastic leg brace went onto his leg, he didn't know if there was a break, but it hurt, was swelling and was going to have one gnarly bruise. Pain, that was the next thing. He found a bottle of non-narcotic painkillers and removed a couple of pills. That should take the edge off. Although he couldn't use his right arm it might help him walk and move better. He slugged the pills down with an energy drink and a granola bar. Not for the first time, he wished he could persuade Batman to get the non-organic kind with chocolate chips in it, but no, mister my-body-is-a-temple insisted on whole grains. He was starting to feel better. Now to really feel like Robin again...

He popped the trunk and found the spare suits. Inside the car, he changed from scared foster-kid in a pair of pajamas into Robin, Batman's partner. As he clasped the belt, with its assorted goodies, he felt ready for some serious ass-kicking. That lasted until he opened the door of the Batmobile and began to move toward the house. He didn't have his usual speed or nimbleness; he'd have to take it slow and carefully. He remembered some lower windows with easy access from the last time he was there. Yes, there was a kitchen window. He'd bet that the gang was still occupied in the basement. He opened the window and climbed through it, finding the arm a serious disability. He'd have to remember to compensate for it as best he could.

Times like this he wished Batman weren't so against guns. It's hard to project authority, he mused, when you were eleven years old and short. But put a gun in your hand and everybody's scared of you. Oh well, he moved stealthily down the cellar steps, I've got other weapons.

He peeked around the doorway to find Batman and Two-Face still exchanging insults. Batman was playing for time; good, he knew Robin wouldn't leave him here alone.

Just outside the door, he removed some smoke pellets from his belt. Edging the door open, he tossed them in with his left hand and listened to them explode. As he'd expected, Batman saw them and reacted immediately. It was very satisfying to hear the sounds of these hoods and gang members having the stuffing beaten out of them. He was tempted to join the fray, but decided to take up his usual post, watching for strays.

Sure enough, the door was pushed open and out came a staggering and coughing man. The man looked up and Robin was face to face with Harvey Dent. Two-Face slammed the door behind him and stopped, seeing the boy planted in front of him, then Dent began to smile.

"You know, boy, you seem to be everywhere I look these days," Two-Face said, then began patting his pockets. "I'm sorry but I've lost my gun and my baseball bat. I'll just have to use my hands…" With a grin, Two-Face began advancing on Robin.

Robin's eyes narrowed as he changed his stance. "I'm not nine years old anymore, Two-Face. I don't have to be afraid of you." He began advancing on the criminal, then jigged to one side at the last minute, avoiding Dent's rush. From behind, Robin ran and drove both feet into Dent's upper back and knocked him to the floor and rolled away. He rolled on the bad arm and the world went black for a moment. He woke gasping to find Dent standing over him, and Robin scrambled away. He eyed Dent fiercely and started to talk. "You are going to leave me alone, Two-Face, and you aren't going to bother me again. Because of you, I've lost my home, my family and my friends. I won't let you do that to anymore."

"And what will you do to me if I don't, Little Bird?" Two-Face sneered, moving slowly in on him.

"You'll deal with me," said Batman, striding up behind Two-Face, then began to throw punches at him, gradually beating the criminal down to the floor. Finally, Batman stopped and stood over Dent, much as Dent had stood over Robin. "I have a lot of scores to settle with you," he growled low. "I have no problem taking full payment out of your hide." He glanced over at Robin, white-faced and pinched looking. The pain-killers had died. "But right now, the boy needs me more than I need to punish you." He looked up at his partner. "Come on, Robin. Let's go."

Robin gave Batman a broad smile and limped behind him up the stairs and out of the ruined house. At the front porch, Batman eyed the boy and simply picked him up and carried him to the car. Once inside the batmobile, Robin gave his mentor a worried look. "You aren't taking me back to a foster home, are you?"

Batman visibly squelched down emotion, then replied. "No. You're going home. With me. But first, we stop at Leslie's and get you taken care of."

* * *

><p>Leslie met them at the clinic door and looked visibly relieved when she saw that nobody was on a stretcher. She closed the door and turned to Batman. "I sent everyone home for the day, Bruce. When I got Alfred's call, I can't tell you how worried I was that history would repeat itself." She turned to Robin, who was holding his arm and looking pale. "Come on into the examination room and I'll take a look at you, honey."<p>

She led them into the familiar room and helped Dick onto the table, glancing briefly at Batman. "Any injuries for you?" He shook his head. "Well, thank goodness for small mercies. Now, Dick, let's take a look at you. What happened?"

She gently took off the splint as Robin replied. "Two-Face grabbed my arm and twisted it till it broke." An emotion flickered across her face, but she only said, "You need an x-ray, then. Come on over to the machine; you know where it is. Anything else I need to see?" Robin nodded and pointed to his bruised leg. "I don't think it's broken, but he got me with a bat. My lower back, too." Leslie noted that while Dick spoke, Bruce had begun backing out of the room, face cloudy. She focused on her immediate patient, resolving to speak with Bruce later.

Several x-rays later, Leslie diagnosed a spiral fracture of the arm and a bone bruise in the leg, giving Bruce a prescription for pain-killers. She sent Robin into a room to take a nap. "You look like you haven't slept in a week, honey. Why don't you take a cat nap? I want to talk to Bruce for a bit. Okay?"

Dick, recently given a dose of hydrocodone, sleepily nodded and lay down on the bed. Leslie closed the door and pulled Bruce into the next room.

"This has to stop, Bruce. I'm terrified that the next time you bring him in, he'll be so badly injured I might not be able to save him," she said in a low, angry voice.

Bruce, cowl pulled back, faced her down. "I don't have a choice, Leslie. Dick wants to be Robin. Even if I fire him, he'll just run away and follow me, then show up anyway. It's happened before and you know it," he ran a hand through his hair. "For him, there literally isn't a safe place in the city except by my side."

"The foster homes…?" Leslie asked.

"He was jumped in the first one and beaten up, then knifed in an attempt to kill or kidnap him. The second one, a child died wearing his uniform. The third, his foster-father…" Bruce swallowed to stop his voice from shaking. "_sold_ him to Two-Face for ten thousand dollars. Leslie, the court date is the day after tomorrow. They're going to try to take him away from me permanently. What do I do if they win?" He looked at her bleakly. "If they take him, as soon as word gets out that he's mine, his life will be measured in minutes."

Leslie leaned against the exam table in the room and exhaled. "I had no idea how serious this was. I did notice the unusual haircut, I assume you've tried disguising him," she smiled bitterly. "But you can't really hide what he is, can you?" She eyed Bruce, seeing the sleepless nights and endless worry in his face and posture. "Your lawyer called me to testify at the hearing. I'll be there, of course, for all the good I can do." She nodded toward the other room. "The spiral fracture was clearly not accidental; those don't happen to children in the absence of abuse. I don't know whether that will help or hurt your case, not to mention the crush injury to his leg. For the time being, take him home and let him rest. He shouldn't be active, keep him quiet if you can. He's lost weight; have Alfred feed him up. And Bruce, enjoy his company while you still have it." She eyed Bruce with unconcealed pity.

"Thanks, Leslie," Bruce said and donned his cowl again. He went into the neighboring room and wrapped his ward in the blanket, carrying him out to the batmobile cradled in his arms. Robin slept deeply the entire ride home and didn't stir while Bruce carried him upstairs to his own bed. Although Alfred and Bruce traded off sitting with him that night, the boy slept without apparent nightmares. 

* * *

><p>THE NEXT DAY<p>

Batman telephoned Ms. Barry to let them know where Robin was. To his surprise, she didn't seem upset that he was home with his guardian.

"No," she said. "Don't bring him back here. I've run out of foster homes for him and it's clear he can't preserve his anonymity in our system. He's safe enough with you for the time being. The Dispositional Hearing is set for tomorrow; you're required to bring him with you."

Batman sighed with foreboding. "He'll be there. I've read your report. Is it still your position that Robin is unsafe in my custody?"

There was a pause on the line, then Barry began speaking, clearly choosing her words very carefully. "I still believe that your lifestyle is inherently dangerous, but there's no denying that Robin's placements with us have had their own dangers."

This was different. "What will your recommendation be?" he asked carefully.

"I…don't know," Barry replied. "My superior and I…ah…disagree in some respects. But be assured that my first consideration, always, is Robin's welfare."

"I appreciate that, Ms. Barry," Batman replied. "But please consider the unique situation he finds himself in, and where his preferences lie as well."

"I plan to, Batman," Ms. Barry said. 

* * *

><p>That morning, Dick Grayson woke in a familiar bed for the first time in over a week. He smelled the lavender scent that Alfred put into the linen closets and the quiet of the Manor. He opened his eyes and found himself in his own room with his own stuff and breathed a sigh of relief. He was home.<p>

Climbing out of bed, he accidentally leaned on his right arm and yelped, then saw the door to his room open. The caution of the past week made him jump out of bed and prepare for attack, but it was only Alfred with a breakfast tray. Dick relaxed when he saw the butler enter the room but missed the sadness in the old man's eyes when he saw the boy's defensive posture.

"Get back into bed, Master Dick," Alfred said, carrying the tray over. "Today you shall have breakfast in bed to celebrate your return." He slid the tray over Dick's lap and pulled a bottle of pills from his pocket. "I also have your medicine."

"I don't need that, Alfie," Dick replied. "My arm is doing fine."

"I see," Alfred replied. "Well, I shall just leave the bottle here for you then, just in case you decide that you require it. Dr. Thompkins was quite insistent that you take painkillers consistently until your arm and leg are well on the mend. I understand that your…ah…variety of injuries can be quite painful."

"Don't need it," Dick said, taking a piece of toast in his left hand and munching it. "Where's Bruce this morning?"

"Since the hearing on your case is tomorrow, I understand that he will be meeting with the attorney as Batman. He has advised me that he would prefer you to rest today, so your presence is not required." Alfred said. "You will remain in bed today and will remain quiet for the upcoming two weeks."

"If I'm here," Dick said sadly. "Alfie…If they take Robin away from me, will Bruce still want me? I mean, as his kid?"

Alfred startled and moved closer. "Has that been worrying you?"

Dick nodded. "As long as I'm useful to him as Robin, I've always felt that I'd have a place. And he needs me." He began to pick at the bedspread with his left hand. "But if I can't be Robin, if they make me give it up, will Bruce still want me? I mean, I know he needs a partner but he doesn't need a son or he'd have adopted one. For real."

Alfred sat down on the bed. "Master Dick, do you know why Master Bruce hasn't adopted you as a son?"

The boy shook his head, still looking away from the old man's eyes.

"Look at me, young man," Alfred gently insisted. When Dick met his gaze, Alfred continued. "The only reason that you are not Bruce Wayne's adopted son is that the local Child Protective Services," he said the name with a thinly veiled sneer. "Will not countenance a single man adopting a child. They are of the opinion that the only fit parents are a married couple. Otherwise, they are content to require their wards to live in foster homes or the juvenile hall. An old fashioned notion which is quickly dying out, but which, alas we still live under."

"You mean, he wants me? For me?" Dick asked eagerly.

"I am confident that he does," Alfred replied. "In any case, you should not worry about it. The Master is determined to keep you and will bring any necessary means to bear."

"Thanks, Alfie," Dick replied, digging in to his breakfast.

"You are welcome, young sir," Alfred replied with a smile and retreated from the room.

The next words the old butler had were directed at Bruce Wayne.

"You need to have a conversation with young Master Dick," Alfred said, bringing Bruce a cup of coffee. "The lad has developed some misconceptions regarding your relationship to him."

"What?" Bruce asked, perplexed.

Alfred poured coffee for the Master. "He believes that, unless he is able to function as Robin to your Batman, that he does not have a place in this household. He reiterates that, while you require a partner, you do not need or desire a son. Should the Welfare authorities deny him the right to be Robin, he fears being reduced to the status of a foster child permanently, should you decide not to keep him."

Bruce blinked. "Of course I want to keep him, whether or not he continues as Robin. We took him in because he had no family in the first place, not to make him a crime-fighter."

"I think that you should be the one to explain it to the lad," Alfred replied soothingly. "I did my best to reassure him, but he really needs to hear it from you."

"I'll talk to him," Bruce said, getting up. "Thank you for clueing me in, Alfred."


	16. In re Robin

CHAPTER 15

Bruce went immediately to Dick's room, tapping lightly on the door. These sorts of conversations made him feel awkward, but he took them seriously as a parent.

"Come in," said Dick's voice. Bruce opened the door and saw his ward sitting up in bed, reading up on criminology. That was right, he'd fallen behind on his studies while he was away.

Bruce came over and pulled a chair next to the bedside and sat down. "So, how are you doing?"

Dick shrugged, then winced, glaring at his right arm. "Okay, I guess," he replied. Bruce waited for him to say something more as the silence grew in the room. Finally, Bruce leaned forward, meeting Dick's eyes.

"Alfred tells me that you have something you want to discuss with me," Bruce said.

The boy frowned, looking away. "I don't want to bother you, Bruce. I mean, you have a lot of important stuff you've missed all week…"

"You mean that I've missed meetings and appointments because I was looking after you?" Bruce replied, voice steady.

"Yeah. Every time something went wrong at one of those foster homes, you had to drop everything and rescue me. I'm sorry to be such a bother," Dick fiddled with the criminology book.

Bruce scratched his chin nervously. "Look, Dick, I'm not very good expressing myself when it's something that's really important to me, so I may not say this well…."

"Yeah?" Dick looked over at his mentor hopefully.

"Anyway, I don't mind taking care of you. It's part of what I agreed to do when I became your guardian," Bruce replied.

"Oh," Dick sagged and looked away. "You're doing your duty."

"Yes…and no," Bruce said, wondering how an educated, articulate man could become so tongue-tied in the presence of an eleven year old. "I'm the closest thing you have to a father. Not that I'd ever try to replace your own parents," he said quickly.

"I know," Dick said, then burst out. "But…but what happens if I can't be Robin? What if the CPS people say I can never be Robin again? Will you still keep me?"

Bruce blinked. "Of course, Dick, this is your home, whether or not you are Robin as well."

Dick examined his face, looking for any signs of hesitation, then asked, "Would you…like me as much… if I wasn't Robin?"

Bruce paused, remembering the small boy who had watched his parents fall from a deadly height; the night in Dent's warehouse when he'd almost lost him; a week ago when he'd been certain he was dead... "Dick…this isn't easy for me…The times I've almost lost you, I couldn't face it. If I ever did, I think the grief would kill me. Your home is here and you're my son, whether the law allows it or not." He leaned forward and gathered his 'son' into a hug, careful not to crush the arm in the cast.

Dick closed his eyes and felt at home for the first time in what seemed like years. Bruce wasn't going to send him back to the foster home, or let them put him up for adoption. His eyes popped open. "Bruce?"

"Yes, Dick?" Bruce leaned away with a smile at his boy.

"If they do take me away from you tomorrow," Dick began, then interrupted as Bruce started talking. "Yeah…I know…you're aren't gonna let them. But if they do take me away, you're going to break me out, aren't you? And steal me back?" He eyed his mentor with narrowed eyes. "Or are we going to obey a law that's stupid?"

Bruce rubbed his nose. He was going to have to send this kid to law school in ten years… "Dick, I promise that if they do manage to take you away from me, I will get you back using all the resources at my disposal. I'll try to do it legally, but if I can't, yes, I'll find you and bring you home. But in either case, you will live here, at the Manor, with Alfred and me. Now, do you have any more questions?"

Dick yawned. He'd finally given in and taken a painkiller. "No. No more questions." He lay back against his pillows.

"Good. Now don't worry about the hearing tomorrow," Bruce said, tucking him in. "Leave that to me."

"'Okay, Bruce," Dick said, drifting to sleep.

THE NEXT DAY-

* * *

><p>In the Superior Court of the State of Metropolis<p>

County of Gotham, Juvenile Division

In Re Robin 

No.: GS-00-5610-J

Department 21, Hon. William Naylor, Presiding

Representing Child Protective Services:

Deputy District Attorney, Elsa Morrison, Esq.

Representing Contesting Parent:

Yvonne (Vonnie) Baker, Esq.

* * *

><p>William Naylor had been a Superior Court judge in the Juvenile Division for ten years and there wasn't much he hadn't seen, but this was a first. He'd never expected a case of this type. He shook his head, wondering what the world was coming to.<p>

The prosecutor was Elsa Morrison, a veteran deputy district attorney. For the defense, representing Batman, was an old friend, Vonnie Baker. The Director of Child Protective Services, Mary Thornton soon followed. Thornton took a seat at Morrison's table. Batman and Robin came in, taking seats with Ms. Baker. Judge Naylor had seen Batman testify many times and had a great respect for what the vigilante had been able to accomplish. Robin, he'd seen less often but thought the boy intelligent and very polite. He was of the private opinion that the obsessive Batman had lightened up and seemed happier since the boy had become his partner. Whether the boy was a son, nephew or neighbor's kid, Robin had seemed competent when he testified and it saddened him to see them both in his courtroom. The judge nodded to Batman, who nodded back.

Then, to everyone's surprise, the door opened and Superman walked in.

Judge Naylor frowned. "Superman, I hope you don't take offense, but proceedings in the juvenile court are supposed to be closed."

Superman replied, "I understand, Your Honor, but I'm here representing the Justice League of America as a Friend of the Court. You've received our brief, I hope?"

Judge Naylor paused a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I have read your brief and your request to offer witnesses. I will allow both, but witnesses must remain outside until called. Since you are here representing the JLA, I'll let you remain."

"Fair enough," said Superman. "I'll inform the witnesses." He ducked outside briefly, then reentered the courtroom and took a seat in the back.

"Thank you," said Judge Naylor. "Ms. Morrison, I'd understood that Alice Barry was the CPS worker in this case. Why isn't she here?"

Mary Thornton stood up. "I can speak to that, Your Honor. Ms. Barry is under suspension at this time, for insubordination."

"I…see," replied Judge Naylor. "Does her..ahem…behavior have any bearing on this case?"

"I will be presenting the Department's case today," replied Thornton. "Barry has proved unreliable and has refused to uphold the standards of Child Protective Services in this matter."

"Disagreed with you, did she?" Judge Naylor muttered, then said in a louder voice, "Very well, Ms. Thornton. You are certainly an acceptable substitute." The judge eyed both counsel. "Are we ready to begin?"

Morrison, the prosecutor stood at the council table. "Your honor, first we'd like to submit our updated report on the child. Counsel," she nodded toward Vonnie Baker. "Has been given a copy in advance of the hearing."

Robin, sitting next to Batman, caught sight of the report and began reading it, getting madder and madder with every sentence. He elbowed Batman and hissed in his ear, "Have you read this?" Batman nodded. "Don't worry about it."

Don't worry about it. Robin had absolute faith in Batman, but still…Okay, he'd wait and see.

They had put the first witness on the stand, Ms. Thornton from CPS and she was talking. Robin stilled to listen and remember, as Batman had taught him. "We have examined this case carefully and are of the opinion that living with Batman is detrimental to this youth's growth and development."

"Why is that, Ms. Thornton?" the prosecutor asked.

"The sheer danger of Batman's lifestyle puts this boy at risk of serious physical harm," Thornton leaned forward in the chair. "For example, we have submitted the medical records detailing the child's beating at the hands of the criminal known as 'Two-Face'." Papers rustled as Judge and both lawyers turned the pages of a report.

"Go on," said the Prosecutor.

"Looking at the diagnosis, Dr. Thompkins, finds that the youth suffered severe crush injuries all over his body, multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung with pneumothorax, broken right arm and grade three concussion. Batman negligently put the youth into the situation in the first place and was negligently unable to protect the youth from harm, once there."

"Have there been any recent injuries?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yes, if you look at the tagged section, the report details injuries within the past two weeks, caused by criminals and associated with the boy's relationship with Batman. First, the child was knifed in the arm, then later kidnapped and beaten again by Two-Face. Had he not been introduced into the criminal subculture in the first place by his relationship with Batman, this boy wouldn't have been injured." Thornton gave the judge a self-righteous look.

"I see," said the prosecutor, Ms. Morrison. "And how attentive a parent was Batman during the time that the boy was under CPS supervision?"

Thornton sniffed. "Our logs show that Batman visited the boy at our facilities only once during the boy's entire stay with us."

Robin sat bolt upright, flashing first the woman and then Batman a look of outrage. Batman just smiled and put his hand on the boy's arm. His look said 'It's okay. Be patient.' Robin settled back into his chair.

"Any further questions for this witness?" the judge asked the prosecutor. "No, Your Honor, "the prosecutor replied.

"Your witness," Judge Naylor nodded toward Baker. She stood up and approached Ms. Thornton.

"Ms. Thornton, have you ever met the minor you refer to as 'the youth', 'the boy' and 'the child'?" she asked.

"Why, no," Thornton replied.

"So, you're deriving your opinion entirely from records left by others," Baker asked.

"Is there anything wrong with that? It's common practice in juvenile court; we take the opinions of experts to decide what's best for the child's welfare," she replied. "You don't have to have a PhD in child development to know that a violent home life is bad for a child."

"Robin," Baker said. "The child's name is Robin."

"Robin, then," Thornton said, beginning to get flustered. "The records make it clear that he has suffered multiple injuries over the past two years, largely caused by his supposed 'partnership' with Batman."

"All right then," Baker said, "Can you tell the court the nature of Alice Barry's insubordination?"

"Objection, Your Honor," the prosecutor said. "Relevance. Ms. Thornton has already given the necessary information in her testimony. Alice Barry's testimony is not needed."

"None of Thornton's knowledge is first hand," Baker argued. "Her opinions and judgments are not formed by her own personal experience as Barry's would be."

"Overruled, Ms. Morrison," Judge Naylor replied. "But, regarding Alice Barry, can anyone tell me why she isn't here?"

"She…intended to give recommendations that go against Department policy," Thornton said grudgingly.

"Alice Barry was going to recommend that Robin be returned to his de facto 'father', Batman." Baker stated. "That's why she hasn't been called to testify on behalf of the CPS."

"Objection, Your Honor, Batman hasn't been established as any kind of father, whether by blood or of the de facto variety," the prosecutor said. "No evidence has been presented showing that Batman has been acting like a father to the child."

"Give me time to get a word out, and I will," Baker smiled.

"All right, counsel, points taken," said Judge Naylor. "First, Ms. Morrison, what was Alice Barry's recommendation going to be? Do you have that in a report? And why have you not presented the Court a copy?"

"Uh…our current report is the updated one, Your Honor. It has superseded Alice Barry's report," Morrison quailed before Judge Naylor's gimlet eye.

"I see," the judge said. "Ms. Baker, can I hope that you will be presenting Ms. Barry as a witness later?"

Baker responded, "Yes, you're honor. She should be outside waiting with the other witnesses."

* * *

><p>OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM<p>

Alice Barry sat nervously on her bench. Normally, testifying in juvenile court was second nature, but this was a new experience for her. Not only was she in disgrace with her boss, but this entire case had been weird in the extreme from the outset. She surreptitiously eyed the people seated on either side of her, drawing a smile from Superman on her right and…Green Arrow?...on her left. She could swear that was Wonder Woman across the hall, talking to a young girl. She clutched her purse in her lap.

"We don't bite, you know," Superman said conversationally. "We all have normal lives when we aren't in costume. You pass us on the street every day, see us at the grocery store picking up that carton of milk we forgot to get."

"Really?" Alice said.

"Yes," said Superman. "And I'll tell you a secret," he said in a conspiratorial whisper. "Wonder Woman…knits in her spare time!"

"She's not bad, either," Green Arrow said. "You should see the argyle socks she made for me last Christmas."

Alice didn't know where to look, but she knew one thing, nobody would ever believe her if she talked about this case.


	17. CPS' Case

CHAPTER 16

INSIDE THE COURT ROOM

TESTIMONY OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSE: SUSAN WHITE

The next witness for Child Protective Services was called, Susan White. She sat in the chair and was sworn in.

"Can you state your name and occupation?" the prosecutor asked.

"Susan White. I'm a psychiatric nurse at the Gotham Juvenile Center," she replied.

"I understand that you evaluated the minor in question when he arrived at the Center?"

"Well, it was actually the morning after his arrival, but close enough," Nurse Sue replied.

"I stand corrected. Ms. White, can you tell me your findings about the boy?" the prosecutor asked.

Nurse Sue frowned. "I found him a very unusual child. He was very secretive about his home and caretaker. He insisted on wearing a mask, refusing to take it off, to protect himself, he said. He refused to divulge his real identity for the same reason."

"I see," the prosecutor said. "What is the boy's relationship with Batman?"

"The boy admits that Batman isn't a blood relative, but said that his own parents were dead. Apparently he witnessed their murder, but didn't say who the murderer was." Sue replied.

"Is there something significant in that?" the prosecutor asked.

"It can be. There have been cases where a child molester or mentally ill person will kill the parent or parents to take the child," Sue replied crisply.

"Did the minor seem to be attached to Batman?" the prosecutor asked.

"Worryingly so," Sue replied. "The boy seemed to feel that Batman was "all he had" I think he put it. Put briefly, the child is excessively dependent on Batman and seemed to be terrified of losing that contact."

"And how is that worrying?" asked the prosecutor.

"Since this 'Batman' person seems to demand an excess of secrecy from the child and dominates his life to this extent, in the absence of an explanation for the intensity of the relationship, I consider it very unhealthy. Add to that the child's statement about seeming homelessness, I am doubly concerned."

"Homeless?"

"The boy spoke of caves and bats. I know that there are many homeless who live in the Gotham woods. Again, since there is apparently no blood tie and this Batman seems to be a stranger who took on the boy after his parents were murdered, I question the appropriateness of the relationship."

"Did you discuss the Batman's apparent vigilante lifestyle with the boy?" the prosecutor asked. By this time, Robin was simmering and had been quietly calmed by several glances from Batman.

"The boy was adamant that he was a necessary part of the team," she snorted. "As though a child of that age could go up against violent men and physically prevail—that's ridiculous. Additionally, as I've mentioned, Batman seems to be very controlling of the child. It wouldn't surprise me if the real reason the boy wants to be Robin is so that Batman won't reject him and put him out on the street."

"Do you have concerns about potential sexual abuse of the child by Batman?"

When I asked about the possibility of Batman's having sexually abused him, the minor violently cut off the interview," Sue replied, glancing at Robin.

"On that basis, what is your recommendation for this minor?" The prosecutor, noting Robin's expression, moved to block Robin's view of the nurse.

"I'd advise a group home for this child, along with intensive therapy. When we can find out his true name, an investigation should be conducted to find his family and what happened to them. For all we know, his parents may be alive and looking for him. Or, if they really were murdered, the potential complicity of this 'Batman' should be investigated. Maybe when he's out from under Batman's control the boy will feel able to confide in a therapist. In no way would I recommend giving this child back to the man!" Sue glared at Batman, who looked stonily back.

Judge Naylor looked concerned. "Ms. Morrison, do you have any more questions for this witness?"

"No, Your Honor, I'm done," she sat down at the table. Ms. Thornton cast a scornful glance at Batman.

Vonnie Baker got up to cross-examine the witness. "Ms. White, how many minutes did you spend with Robin?"

"About sixty in total," the nurse testified.

"And you have never seen him before or since, is that correct?" Baker asked.

"That's correct," White answered.

"You have never been to Robin's home?"

"No."

"You have never seen Robin interact with Batman?" Baker asked.

"Except for what I've seen in court today," the nurse replied.

"In court today, with Robin seated next to Batman, do you see a child who is fearful of his parent?"

The nurse cast a glance at the counsel table. Robin had moved his chair as close to Batman as it would go. "No. Robin seems…drawn…to Batman."

"Nurse White, how long have you lived in Gotham?"

"About six months," she replied.

"Then you aren't familiar with Gotham legend about the Caped Crusader who is rumored to have his lair in the ubiquitous 'batcave'?" Baker asked.

"Uh…no. I barely know who this Batman person is," said the nurse.

"Thank you. I have no further questions," Baker replied.

"Call your next witness, Ms. Morrison," Judge Naylor said to the prosecutor. 

* * *

><p>TESTIMONY OF DR. LESLIE THOMPKINS<p>

"I'll call Dr. Leslie Thompkins to the stand," Morrison said. The bailiff opened the door and Dr. Thompkins came inside, holding a file folder in her hands.

Batman and Robin both stiffened, expecting Leslie to testify later, on their behalf. Baker seemed unfazed.

The prosecutor got started. "Dr. Thompkins, you run the Gotham Free Clinic?"

"Yes," Leslie said.

"Robin is a patient of yours? How long have you been treating him?"

"For about two years, since he was nine years old," she replied.

"In that time, how many times have you seen this boy for injury?" the prosecutor cast a sharp glance at Batman.

"Do you mean minor injuries or major injury?" Thompkins asked.

"Any kind of illness that you would term an injury or infliction of trauma?"

Thompkins, her eyes focused on the floor, responded, "About seventeen times."

"That comes to a little over eight injuries per year since he's been with Batman," said the prosecutor. "How many of these have involved broken bones?"

"About five times," Leslie replied.

"Can you list them? Start with his first year with you, please," the prosecutor asked.

"Uh," Leslie opened the file. "Broken collarbone, two broken fingers, broken bone in the foot." She looked at the prosecutors. "The boy is an active gymnast and former trapeze artist. He continues in full time training, as well as in the martial arts."

"Uh huh," the prosecutor said dryly. "What broken bones the second year?"

"The incident with 'Two-Face' as I listed before, broken arm, three broken ribs. And later, three broken toes from a bad kick."

"A bad kick? What's that?" the prosecutor asked, arms folded over her chest.

"He said that he was aiming a kick at one of the Joker's henchmen and hit him wrong, causing foot injury."

"Do you see him for other conditions related to his vigilante activities with Batman?" The prosecutor was solemn but Ms. Thornton had a triumphant little smile on her face.

"Yes, I have," said Leslie. "I saw him for lung spasm after he was dosed with fear gas, that was an allergic reaction similar to asthma," she flipped through the folder. "Stitches for cuts.."

"Knife wounds?" the prosecutor broke in.

"Yes, twice," Leslie answered. "And I've been consulted by Batman regarding appropriate length of training regimen, proper diet and physical therapy when required."

"Dr. Thompson, do you treat other boys of Robin's age in the clinic?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yes, I do," Leslie asked.

"How many of them have injuries similar in type and frequency?"

"Ahh..none. Robin is unique."

"If you had a child with this many injuries within a two year period, you'd call Child Protective Services to investigate, wouldn't you?"

Leslie's head dipped. "Yes. Probably."

"Isn't it true that you have warned Batman multiple times of the dangers he exposes Robin to? And that you've encouraged Batman to force Robin's retirement?"

"Yes," Leslie said, unable to meet Batman's eyes.

"How many times?"

"At least three times," Leslie said.

The prosecutor turned to the judge. "I have no more questions for this witness."

Vonnie Baker got up and approached Dr. Thompkins. "Hello, Doctor. During the two years you've treated Robin, have you also seen him for ordinary childhood issues?"

Leslie smiled. "Yes, I have. Let's see, I gave him some vaccinations when I first saw him. He's had the flu, Batman was quite concerned about that. Um…he's had a couple of bad colds and I discussed having his tonsils out with Batman, but he decided to defer that. Let's see, discussion of appropriate juvenile vitamins, Batman wanted organic tablets that weren't coated in sugar…"

The court heard a sharp whisper, "Is that why I'm taking those yucky things? I want the ones with sugar…" Followed by a deeper "Shhhh…"

Leslie bit back a smile and continued. "He had a reaction to one vaccination, he caught measles from the vaccine. Again, Batman was worried, wanted to hospitalize him but I reassured him that this happens sometimes and he'd recover just fine at home." She closed the folder. "That's about it."

"Dr. Thompkins, have you seen Batman and Robin interact as though they were family?" Baker asked.

"Yes, I consider them a family, or part of one in any case," Thompkins replied.

"Is Batman's behavior inconsistent with other fathers you've seen?"

Thompkins smiled. "In a way, yes. Batman worries more. If I suggest one supplement, he gets two."

"What about Robin's behavior? Is it consistent with a son or with a captive?" Baker looked askance at the other side's table.

"More consistent with a son," Leslie replied. "When Robin is ill, he wants Batman there to comfort him and will call for him. The times Robin has had to stay at the clinic overnight or for a term of days, Batman tends to stay with him as much as possible. I don't think Batman sleeps much at those times, he just sits by his boy's bedside."

"Why do you warn Batman about the dangers of Robin's vigilante activities?" Baker asked.

"For several reasons. First, it's dangerous to any person and Robin's too young to appreciate the dangers. Second, I like Robin, and Batman as well. I don't like to treat their injuries although I'm honored that they trust me with them. And lastly, because I do like Batman and have gotten to know him, I know how devastated Robin's death would leave him." Leslie frowned.

"You consider Robin's death a possibility?"

Leslie sighed. "Either of them could be killed; it's the nature of the work. But Robin is only a child. After Two-Face, I was afraid that the time had actually arrived, but I was able to pull him through."

"Has Batman put safety measures into place?"

"Oh yes," Leslie replied. "Since Robin's arrival, he's revamped his jump line system and harnesses and is currently adding body armor to Robin's costume. I've also trained Batman, Robin and…others…in first aid, equivalent to that of a first responder. Also, on my advice, their uniforms are now constructed of bullet and fireproof materials." She bit her lip. "I still wish that Robin wore a helmet, but Batman insists it would cut down on his peripheral vision and endanger him more than protecting him."

"I see," Baker replied. "As a parent, over all, how would you rate Batman?"

"I'd say, above average," Leslie replied. "He spends a lot of time with the boy, worries about his health and education. More than many parents I see."

"How bonded is Robin to Batman?"

Leslie smiled. "Very. I think it would hurt Robin greatly to be separated from Batman."

Casting a glance toward Ms. Thornton at the other table, Baker asked," Dr. Thompkins, the Opposition's psychiatric nurse expressed concern that Robin was potentially being sexually abused by his adult caretaker, Batman. Have you ever seen any evidence of this?"

"Never," said Leslie. "Neither physical nor emotional. Robin is a very happy, well-adjusted child. I don't know what basis she'd ground such a theory on."

"Thank you, Dr. Thompkins," Baker said. "No more questions for this witness, your honor."

"All right," Judge Naylor said. "Ms. Morrison, please call your next witness."

"I call Captain James Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department."


	18. No Safe Place

CHAPTER 17

TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN JAMES GORDON

The bailiff brought an embarrassed Jim Gordon into the courtroom. He glanced at Batman as he passed, but Batman wouldn't look at him. Gordon took the stand and was sworn in.

"Captain Gordon, how long have you known Batman?" the prosecutor asked.

"For about five years, since he began working around Gotham City," Gordon replied uneasily.

"How many years ago did Batman acquire a juvenile partner?"

"About two," Gordon replied, keeping his gaze focused away from Batman's table.

"And the partner's name is Robin? Is he the child seated at the table next to Batman?"

"Yes. He is."

"When you found out about Robin, did you discuss his partnership with Batman?"

Gordon shifted in his chair. "Yes. I did."

"What did you tell him?"

"That I felt his work was too dangerous for a child."

"When it became clear that Batman was going after Two-Face, describe your conversation."

Gordon closed his eyes and said, "I told him that it was his call; it's always his call. Batman said that Robin was his partner, that he was capable and he could handle it. I warned him that if any harm came to the boy, that God help me, I'd drop down on him from a great height."

The prosecutor went to her table and retrieved a folder and removed some large photographs. She returned to Gordon. "I understand, Captain Gordon, that you were with the squad who entered the warehouse shortly after Batman and Robin had left?"

"That's right," Gordon said, eyeing the photos with distaste. She handed them to Gordon.

"Is this an accurate depiction of what you found there that night?"

Gordon went through the photos, his face getting longer and longer with each one. Finally, he swallowed hard and said, "Yes, those are accurate. They were taken by one of our CSI's in fact, while I was present."

She nodded. "Let the record reflect that these are Prosecution's 'A' through 'F', and enter them into evidence."

The judge replied, "So ordered. Go on, Counsel." The prosecutor handed them to the judge and he began going through the photographs, his bushy eyebrows drawing tighter and tighter on his face.

She returned to Gordon. "What was your working hypothesis when you examined the scene?"

Gordon replied, "It was clear that someone had been attacked and possibly murdered. There was a great deal of blood spatter and a potential murder weapon."

"Was this it?" In her hands, she held a battered bat, encased in plastic and covered in rusty streaks of blood in her hands. Gordon looked at it, his eyes steely. "Yes. That's it."

The prosecutor said, "I'd like to enter Prosecution's exhibit 'G' into evidence."

The judge put down the last photograph and replied, "So ordered, Counsel," and gingerly took the bat from the Prosecutor's hands, looking it over, then looking at the photographs again.

"Your honor, we already have a stipulation from opposing counsel that the blood on the bat belongs to the minor, called Robin," the Prosecutor said.

"Understood," said Judge Naylor after a responsive nod from Baker.

"I would also like to enter the minor's medical records into evidence at this time, as Prosecution's exhibits one through fifty," the prosecutor said, handing the medical records folder to Judge Naylor.

"So ordered," the judge replied.

The prosecutor approached Gordon again. "How did it become apparent to you that Robin had been attacked?"

Gordon took off his glasses and began to wipe them. "Harvey Dent. We'd arrested him at the warehouse. You didn't need to question him. He bragged that he'd killed the boy as well as the Judge."

"What action, if any, did you take in response to that?"

Gordon closed his eyes against the memory. "I sent out a cop to canvass Gotham hospitals, beginning with Gotham General, to look for a 'John Doe' DOA…a kid, early to mid-teens…Caucasian with black hair…beaten to death. Then I went upstairs to turn on the bat-signal."

"Did Batman arrive?"

"Three quarters of a pack of cigarettes later, yeah, he did," Gordon sighed, remembering. "He told me some goddamned story about Robin being benched for the night when I was holding a goddamned BAT covered with the kid's BLOOD on it in my hand!" Gordon patted a pocket, looking for a cigarette that wasn't there, then gave up and folded his arms across his chest. "He told me that Robin was alive and that was all he'd say."

"Did you feel that Batman was being untruthful?" the DA prompted.

"I don't know. I still don't know everything that happened that night," Gordon said. "All I know is that Robin disappeared for about six months, then reappeared. He's been active ever since."

"What's your opinion of that?"

Gordon took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't have an opinion. What Batman does is dangerous, but I've seen him force the kid to sit out the really bad ones and the kid obeys. I've got a daughter of my own and I don't know what I'd do if she donned a cape and went swinging through Gotham on a rope. No, I do know what I'd do. Barbara would go to the first convent school I could find with locking doors! So yes, I do still disapprove of Robin being an active vigilante, although I like the kid. And I still consider Batman a friend and a great help to the Gotham P.D."

The prosecutor smiled. "I think that's all I have for this witness."

Vonnie Baker got up and approached Gordon. "Captain Gordon, did I hear you correctly that you still consider Batman a friend?"

Gordon's seamed face fell. "Yes, I do. Although I feel like I stabbed him in the back just now."

Vonnie nodded. "As a friend, how did Robin's injury affect Batman?"

"He got quieter…colder. Wouldn't talk about the kid at all. Before, he used to crack a smile every now and then. After that…nothing."

"He was upset?"

Gordon thought a moment. "Yeah. He was upset. Preoccupied, like he felt guilty but wasn't admitting it. That lasted about six months, until Robin came back on duty." Gordon shrugged. "But who knows what goes on in his head? All I know is he unfroze when Robin returned."

"What was Robin like?"

"More serious, I guess. Less likely to wander off on his own. Batman kept him close, was stricter with him."

"The night that CPS took Robin, you expressed an opinion to Batman about the Gotham Youth Center. What was it?"

Gordon snorted. "It's not politic for me to admit this, but I called the place a snake pit."

"Did you assist Batman with regard to Robin's safety at the Gotham Youth Center?"

"Oh, well, yeah. I went out there and made sure Robin got put into a single room. Batman and I both were worried that Robin might get attacked by some of the young wards there. At least half the population is there for criminal offenses and the other half are related to the criminals Batman puts away. I…uh…also passed a fifty to the guard at the intake desk to let me know if Robin ran into trouble. "Gordon blushed a bit at the admission.

"Captain Gordon, according to the records, Robin was knifed during his second night at the Gotham Youth Center. Were you involved in the investigation of that?"

"Oh yes, I was. I was the one who had to make the call to Batman. He'd given me a burner cellphone—you know, untraceable-in case of emergency. They had Robin in the ER, a flesh wound but it needed a lot of stitches, and he'd been hit on the head."

"What did Batman do when he arrived?"

"He wanted to know what happened. Barry gave him a sanitized version. I told him the truth, that a couple of the 17 year olds had attacked Robin in his bedroom; they got somebody to let them in. A counselor on-duty heard the noise and found Robin fighting both of them, called for another counselor and broke it up. It seems these young crooks wanted to cash in on the bounty set on Robin's head."

"A bounty?" Baker's eyebrows rose. "What kind of bounty?"

"One of the reasons for Batman's extreme secrecy is that most of the crooks in Gotham have money out on his head. When Robin was taken by CPS, word came down on the street that a Joker and Two-Face each had a reward out for the boy, dead or alive. Then later we heard that a consortium of criminals had raised it to one million." Gordon leaned forward in his chair. "You see, since he was at the Juvenile Center, they knew exactly where they could find Robin. They all took a page from Harvey Dent's book and started a bidding war for that kid. Batman and I were both expecting trouble."

"What happened to the attackers?"

"I questioned them that night. Batman was there too. They admitted that they planned to sell Robin to Harvey Dent."

"Where did Batman spend the night?" Baker asked.

"He stayed at the hospital in Robin's room, slept in a chair. I tried to talk him out of it, offered a couple men to guard Robin's door, but he wouldn't hear of it. Said the kid would be safer if he guarded him." Gordon said.

"What were Batman's activities during that time?"

Gordon gave a bitter laugh. "After Robin left the hospital for his first foster home, Batman didn't sleep. He stayed out there with binoculars, watching and guarding him, night and day. He knew that there'd be somebody out there after the bounty. Oh, he was concealed well, my men wouldn't have seen him if they hadn't known he was there."

"When was the next call you had about Robin?"

"Two days later, we got a call about gunfire and that a child had been shot. I knew. I knew who it had to be," Gordon replied. "I went out with the SWAT team."

"Was Batman there?"

"Yes, he'd seen the shooting and was doing CPR on that poor kid. I followed Batman back to the hospital, when they pronounced the kid dead," Gordon shook his head.

"Was it Robin who died?" Baker asked.

"No. It was one of the other foster kids who had taken Robin's costume and put it on. He didn't know about the people gunning for the boy," Gordon said.

"Then why was Robin's 'death' publicized?" asked Baker.

"Batman and I talked about it. Robin had to be disguised for his own safety; if CPS just put him into another foster home, even just wearing his mask, he was dead meat. Alice Barry agreed with the plan, under the circumstances. Batman got some hair clippers and shaved the poor kid's head. Man…that was one close crew cut. The kid grimaced but he knew the dangers, so he didn't complain. We put him in distinctive clothing that wouldn't say 'Robin' to anyone who saw him and Barry took him to his next foster home."

"Did Batman guard him at the new location?"

Gordon shook his head. "Batman was worried that someone had spotted him at the first foster home and he'd inadvertently drawn the assassins to the kid. He deliberately stayed away from this new home, to protect him."

"They found him anyway. Apparently the husband was in the habit of beating up the wife. Robin defended her during a domestic fight and the husband figured out who he had to be, made contact with Two-Face and sold the kid for ten thousand dollars. We found all this out when the wife couldn't find Robin to wake him for school."

"I understand that Batman retrieved him?"

"Yes."

"Did Robin suffer any injuries as a result of his kidnapping?"

"Yes. As I understand it, he had a broken arm and a bone bruise in his leg as well as impact injuries. Dent took another bat to him before Batman got there."

And that was two days ago?"

"Yes."

"Where has Robin been since Batman rescued him? Another foster home?"

"No. At this point Batman is fed up with the lack of protection Robin has been getting from the CPS and simply took him home after Robin saw the doctor," Gordon said. "He felt that he could protect the boy better if he kept Robin with him."

"So, to summarize, since Robin was placed in CPS' custody, he's been a target?" Baker asked.

"Yes, that's right," said Gordon. He held up his hand, ticking off finger by finger. "In the Juvenile Center, first he was jumped in the cafeteria, then that evening he was attacked by those older kids, looking for the bounty. Then, in his first foster home, another child was shot by mistake. In his next foster home, his foster father sold him to Two-Face. That poor kid hasn't had a secure day since he left Batman's custody."

"In your opinion, was Robin safer with Batman?" Baker paced in front of Gordon.

Gordon paused, thinking. "Even disguising the poor kid wasn't enough. I'll tell you, what Robin does as a vigilante isn't safe, but he's better off with Batman than he'll ever be in foster care."

"Thank you, Captain Gordon," Baker said. She nodded to the judge. "I'm finished with this witness, Your Honor."

"All right," Judge Naylor made a hand motion to the prosecutor. "Call your next witness, Ms. Morrison."

"Your honor, I wish to call Batman to the stand," said the prosecutor.


	19. Whatever I have to do

CHAPTER 18

"Your honor, " Baker said, getting up. "I know that I agreed to combine my cross-examination with my direct examination in the cases of Dr. Thompkins and Captain Gordon to save time for them. But I did not agree to allow my client to testify as a direct witness for the prosecution. He has had no notice or subpoena. The prosecution should be restricted to cross-examination only, in accordance with standard procedure."

"I understand counsel, but I have to admit that with a witness list this long, it makes more sense to continue as we have begun and simply take a witness at a time rather than breaking the case presentation up with prosecution first, then defense. In any case, don't worry, Ms. Baker, you'll have Batman for your witness either directly after Ms. Morrison or later if you wish," Naylor waved a hand at an angry looking Baker.

"Thank you, Your Honor," Baker sighed and sat down next to an antsy Robin.

"What does that mean?" Robin whispered.

"Usually, when you call an opposition witness you're cross-examining them and you're limited to the scope of what they testified to originally. She's planning to ask Batman questions way beyond what I was going to ask him." Baker whispered to the boy while they were swearing Batman in.

Robin frowned, his eyes hard beneath the mask. "Are you afraid of what he's going to say? They're trying to make him testify against himself, aren't they?" he whispered back.

"Something like that," Baker replied, then patted the boy on his caped shoulder. "It'll be all right. Batman is a smart man." Baker sat up, concentrating on the questioning.

"Batman, how long has Robin been your partner?"

"About two years or so," Batman replied emotionlessly.

"Did you train him?"

"Yes. For about six months, athletic training, self-defense and investigative techniques before I let him on the street. Since then, I continue to train him in all of the above." Batman eyed the prosecutor. He was familiar with her, had testified on some of her cases. Not the worst, but not the best either.

"Before you made Robin your partner, did you ever consider that it might be too dangerous for a boy of his age?"

"Of course I did. That's why he got as much self-defense training as he did. And I keep a close eye on him at all times." Batman's chin jutted out aggressively.

Robin glanced at Baker, her lips were compressed as she watched her client.

"I see," the prosecutor said. "Since Robin became your partner, what injuries has he had that are directly related to crime fighting?" She focused in on the Batman, who was conscious suddenly of feeling like a bug on a pin.

"I..I hardly keep track. Besides, you've already heard the testimony of Robin's doctor," Batman said.

"I would assume that some injuries are treated in-house," the prosecutor replied. "The medical records that Dr. Thompkins submitted include notes about the excellent triage you provided before you brought Robin in after the attack by Harvey Dent."

"Minor things," Batman replied serenely. "If it's anything serious, we go to the doctor like anyone else."

Robin closed his eyes, remembering the last time Alfred had removed a bullet from Batman. Robin had been called in to act as surgical nurse to assist against the day that Alfred might not be available to do the service. Alfred was in the process of putting Robin through an informal EMT training when Robin had been yanked by CPS.

"Don't you worry that some day Robin will be killed while he's with you?"

Batman gave her a half-smile. "Now that sounds like a 'when did you stop beating your wife' kind of question. If I say that I don't worry, I'm uncaring. If I say that I do worry, you'll ask why I let Robin be a vigilante." He shifted in his chair. "The answer is that yes, I do worry. A lot. But the only solution I can see that will preserve Robin's freedom to do what he enjoys, namely to be Robin, is to train him for any contingency while watching over him at all times."

"Why do you allow Robin to be a vigilante?" the prosecutor looked honestly curious.

"He was born for this work. He has a natural gift for acrobatics and has taken to martial arts faster than anyone I've ever seen. He has a high IQ, I won't disclose the number because I don't want him to get a swelled head," Batman shot an amused look at his partner. "He has picked up every task, every study, every duty I've ever asked of him and excelled at it. More, he takes joy in it." Batman looked down meditatively, then back up at the prosecutor. "It's like discovering that your child is a young Mozart. You feel an obligation to continue his education because not to do so would be a crime."

"Mozart didn't spend his time fighting the Joker," the prosecutor replied, arms folded across her chest.

"Well, Robin isn't writing sonatas either," Batman countered. "Each to his own art. The point is, if I benched him, Robin would find another way to do the work he loves. He's run away before when I tried to retire him, or disobeyed orders, then turned up when I needed him most. Better for him that I remain as his teacher and guard him from the dangers."

"Your attorney has made a point in emphasizing that Robin has been in danger since he was put into the custody of Child Protective Services. I take it that's your belief as well?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yes," Batman said shortly.

"Hasn't it occurred to you that you and your lifestyle are the source for Robin's danger? I mean, had you not introduced the boy to the Gotham criminal underworld, he would hardly be a target now, would he?"

"In what sense?" Batman replied. "Innocent bystanders are killed and injured daily by the Joker, the Penguin and the other criminals. Robin is as likely to be killed that way if I stop fighting crime and let the criminals run rampant."

"So you think it makes no difference whether Robin is injured by a criminal who targets him versus as an innocent bystander?"

"Dead is dead, Ms. Morrison. At least Robin can defend himself," Batman said seriously. "And he has me protecting him, if I'm allowed to."

Morrison gave Batman an angry look and picked up the photos of the crime scene. She took a pen and circled a spot on the photo. "Can you identify this?"

Batman looked at it. "It's a pool of blood."

"Whose?"

"Robin's," Batman said reluctantly.

"I'd like to submit this as Prosecution's exhibit next in order," she said, handing it up to the judge.

She took another photograph and circled an element in it. "What's this?"

Batman warily looked at it. "My bootprints."

"In what substance?" the prosecutor glared at Batman.

"Blood," Batman said, shortly.

"Whose?"

"Robin's," Batman replied, an undertone of rage in his voice.

"Batman, you say that Robin has a gift for the work. Why don't you let him grow up and go to a police academy like a normal child? It would be a lot safer for him," Morrison said.

"Objection. She's badgering the witness," Baker interrupted. "Batman, don't answer that."

"It's a reasonable question and goes to the point that either he's deliberately putting this child into deadly danger on a regular basis or he has lost so much control over Robin that he's an incompetent parent anyway," Morrison replied angrily.

"Your honor, Counsel's tone is argumentative as are the questions she's proposing. In any case, it's about lunch time and I'd propose a break," Baker said, eyeing both Batman and Morrison.

The judge checked his watch and nodded. "We have run long. Everyone, come back at two p.m."

Superman stood up. "Your honor, might I make a request?"

"By all means, Superman," Judge Naylor replied.

"I have several witnesses outside.."

"Oh yes," Naylor replied. "You have a point. Under the circumstances, we'll cut off Batman's testimony for the afternoon and bring in the witnesses from the Justice League. They've been waiting to testify all day and I don't want them to waste any more time out there. Counsel, I'm sure you won't mind using this time to cool off a bit?" He eyed both attorneys with an iron glance. They both nodded.

"All right then, Superman, I'll depend on you to tell your comrades about the lunch break. We'll resume at two p.m. And, Ms. Thornton, what is the status of Robin? Can you take custody of him for the lunch period?" Judge Naylor gestured toward Robin, who was standing, leaning against Batman. Naylor noted that Batman's hand was on the boy's shoulder.

"I certainly will," Thornton replied, moving toward the boy. She raised a hand, gesturing Robin forward. "Come on, Robin. Let's go."

Robin looked over his shoulder at Batman, an expression of deep sadness in his eyes. Batman tightened the hand that rested on Robin's shoulder, then pulled it away. "You'll be back after lunch, Robin," Batman said in a husky voice.

Robin just nodded and reluctantly walked over to Thornton. She held him by the upper arm and all but frog-marched him out of the courtroom. Batman followed until he was stopped by Superman.

"What is it?" Batman asked, his eyes following Robin.

"We need to talk," Superman replied. "We'll be back at two, Your Honor," Superman said and pulled Batman out the door.

Superman quickly passed the judge's message on to the heroes waiting outside. Green Arrow shrugged. Wonder Woman, the young girl and Alice Barry had bored him silly for hours, talking about knitting patterns and projects until he was ready to hit something. He had debated setting up some targets and at least practicing outside but decided that it would be inappropriate behavior for a courthouse. He decided to hit the hot-dog stand on his own since Batman and Superman were deep in conversation.

All the knitters adjourned to the Denny's next door to continue their discussion. Superman gestured Batman to follow him and they found a deserted corridor in the courthouse basement.

"There's nobody within earshot," Superman said. "We really need to talk, Bruce."

Batman looked coldly at the man of steel. "I don't see what we have to discuss, Clark."

"I was sitting there all morning, listening. Bruce, you are going to lose Robin if you don't start cooperating with the process," Superman said in frustration.

"I am cooperating," Bruce answered heatedly. "I've let them keep Robin, I've obeyed every order, regardless of how it increased the danger to him. I don't see what more I can do…"

"You just don't get it, do you?" Superman demanded. "You're a millionaire, so I guess you don't have a real understanding of how ordinary people live. You have no power here, Bruce. Money won't buy that boy back, neither will high-powered lawyers. You're starting behind the eight-ball here, my friend. And unless you start trying to appease the Court, your son is going to grow up in some group home."

Batman tried to interrupt, but Superman held up a hand. "In my day to day life, I'm an ordinary man, living on an ordinary salary in an ordinary house. I may not be human, Bruce, but I know a few things about what is expected of normal citizens. You're flubbing this one badly. Go back in there and beg if you have to, but ditch the 'I'm the Batman' cool act. It won't work here. That man in there is making the decision of your boy's life. You can't frighten him, oppress him or impress him. You can only persuade, like you've never persuaded before, that you're the best parent possible for that boy."

Batman was silent for a while. Finally, he asked, "Are you done?"

"I have one more thing to say," Superman said. "In all your talk about how important it is for you to keep Robin, a prodigy, so that you can train him in detective work, you forgot to mention one really important thing. You're missing the point."

"Oh? And what's that?" Batman asked.

"You love him. You'd give your life for this boy," Superman poked a finger at Batman's chest so hard that Batman winced behind his body armor. "When he gets hurt, it tears you up inside. If he got killed, it would destroy you. Robin sees beyond the stoic act you put on, and I know you well enough to read behind it. But they can't; you're that good. You want Dick back? Let them see that."

"Oh. Is that all?" Batman asked scornfully. "Why not put up a billboard directing the felons of Gotham on how to get at the Batman. Just kill the kid!"

Superman shook his head in disbelief. "You think they haven't already figured that out? Two-Face certainly has. You're fooling yourself if you think that nobody knows Robin is your son, whether a blood relative or not."

They heard footsteps clicking down the hallway. Superman glanced over his shoulder and turned when Vonnie Baker appeared around a corner. Her face cleared when she saw both Superman and Batman there. "Oh good, there you are. Batman, I want to discuss your testimony today and go over the rest of it with you."

Batman glanced at Superman, then back at Baker. "Yes. I have some things I need to discuss with you on that, too."

* * *

><p>STACY'S SUB-SANDWICH PLACE<p>

Robin sat in the booth, trying to gnaw his way through the sandwich Ms. Thornton had bought him. Stale sourdough bread was one thing, but this stuff could be made into shoes. Or armor. He eyed Ms. Thornton and wondered just what had happened to Ms. Barry. She had been tough but she'd come around eventually. He didn't want Batman to worry, but he was becoming increasingly convinced that they just weren't going to let him go home. He put the sandwich down on the table and sighed a little. He wasn't hungry anyway.

Thornton hadn't said two words to him since they left the courtroom. Just as well, since he had nothing to say to her other than, 'Let me go home!' On that cheerful thought, he looked at the two men who had just come in through the door. They were both wearing baggy jackets that bulged at the pockets and looked nervous. Too nervous. Robin's eyes narrowed and he ran his eye over the packed restaurant. The odds weren't good. If the guys tried anything, there could be casualties. Having two gimpy arms wouldn't help him any if he tried to take action. Had to account for that. Uh-oh, one guy had spotted him and was nudging the other one.

"Ms. Thornton," Robin said softly. "I think you should move slowly away from the table towards the rest-rooms and call the police. This place is about to get robbed." 

* * *

><p>INSIDE THE COURTROOM<p>

The two o'clock hour had arrived and various members of the court staff took their places. Ms. Morrison was seated at her table, going through some files but Ms. Thornton and Robin hadn't arrived yet.

Batman took his place at the counsel table. He and Baker had had a long discussion about the gist of his testimony and Baker looked much happier than she had in a long time. She'd been encouraging him to show his softer side in court, but Batman had fought it tooth and nail. It had taken Superman's dressing down to really make him think about the effect his demeanor would have on the case. If this was what Robin needed, then he'd get it.

Superman had taken his place in the back of the room and they all watched the judge enter. Naylor scanned the room as he sat himself at the bench. "Where is Ms. Thornton? And Robin?"

The group heard a steady beeping sound and looked around, trying to trace it. Batman touched his ear and said, "Robin? Robin, what's wrong?" then stilled, eyes narrowing. "What's your location? Robin? Answer me!" He looked up at the judge, then gestured to Superman. "He's in trouble…" and dashed out the door, Superman following after him.


	20. JLA Steps in

Chapter 19

Outside the courtroom, Superman explained briefly what was going on while Batman triangulated Robin's location. The Justice Leaguers followed as Batman dashed down the stairs, leaving Alice Barry standing alone by the benches. 

* * *

><p>STACY'S SUB-SANDWICH PLACE<p>

Robin caught the men both looking at him fixedly. "Oh no…" he muttered and started to back away from the table. He recognized both the men. They were part of Two-Face's gang. They must be short of cash while out on bail. Great choice of place to rob, across the street from the courthouse, no less. Cover's blown, time to call for backup. He grabbed his communicator out of his belt and pressed what he privately referred to as the "Oh Shit" button, guaranteed to get Batman's immediate attention.

Robin ducked under the table as the two men dove through the tables and booths toward him. "Batman, I need help!" Robin gasped into the transmitter, trying to stay one step ahead of the crooks. He dodged a kick to his head and the transmitter went flying; he could hear Batman's voice shouting from the speaker. He struck back with his right arm, delighted to discover that the plaster cast on his arm was a weapon. Of course, the sharp pain in his arm that came immediately after told him to ration that move. He shifted and focused on using kicks instead.

Ms. Thornton had disappeared; calling the police, he hoped. One of the thugs had him cornered by the soda machines, landing too many punches, when he noticed that the crowd had thinned and the second thug was being tied up by a figure in green. Green Arrow? Then the blows stopped and Batman was easily picking up the second goon by the scruff of the neck, pulling him away from Robin and tossing him against the wall. Wonder Woman moved in serenely and bound the man with her golden lasso.

"Are you all right?" Batman leaned in, scanning Robin for injuries.

"I'm fine. Glad you could join me," Robin grinned. "I might need a new cast, though," he held up his right arm, showing a long, diagonal crack from wrist to elbow. "Arm hurts a little. Um…hurts a lot…" He went pale and leaned against the wall, then began to slide.

"Whoa!" Batman grabbed him before he hit the floor and put an arm under his shoulders, keeping him upright. Robin leaned unsteadily against Batman, his eyes unfocused-looking. "I think maybe we should get you to the batcave," Batman murmured, eyes narrowed.

"I'm afraid not," Ms. Thornton, looking pale and shaken. "He's still a ward of the County. I'll take him to Gotham General and have his arm looked at." Thornton moved forward toward Robin and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Robin eyed her hand with distaste and nudged himself closer to Batman.

Superman, seeing Batman's barely suppressed rage and worry, moved in. "It looks like he's re-broken that arm," he said, looking closely at it. "He shouldn't be walking. I'll see to it that he gets to Gotham General and you can catch up to us with the car, Ms. Thornton," Superman turned a bland smile at the CPS manager.

Thornton didn't dare argue with the man of steel. "Oh…okay. I'll meet you there, then…" she quavered and began walking swiftly to the parking lot. When she was out of earshot, Superman picked Robin up in his arms. "Don't worry, Batman. I'll keep an eye on him for you," Superman said and took off.

Batman turned to Wonder Woman, who gazed at Batman with sympathy but still had the goon lassoed. "Mind if I ask some questions?" Batman eyed the crook and recognized him.

"By all means," Wonder Woman replied, giving the lasso a little shake. "You will answer all of Batman's questions fully and truthfully. Understand?"

The crook, a frightened look on his face, nodded.

Batman walked up to him. "Why are you here?"

"To…to rob the place. We're short of money these days since you broke up the gang," the man replied.

"Why did you attack Robin?" Batman asked, scrutinizing the man's face and demeanor.

"The boss still wants him. Just seeing him there, with two busted wings, we thought we'd take advantage…" the man's eyes widened as he sensed the increased level of barely-penned fury in the Batman.

"And who is the boss?" Batman asked in a low growl.

"T..two-F..face," the crook said. "He's lookin' at another murder trial and wants the kid, but he wants to kill him himself—make sure he's dead."

Batman noted two of Captain Gordon's best cops standing to one side, taking notes. "Officers, you can have these two with the Justice League's compliments."

Both cops, eyebrows raised, cuffed the crooks and led them away after Wonder Woman retrieved her lasso. The crooks looked grateful to be in the cops' custody after the rage of the Bat.

"Well, what now?" asked Green Arrow.

"We go back to court, I suppose," Batman said, eyeing Gotham General in the distance. 

* * *

><p>TESTIMONY OF WONDER WOMAN <p>

Judge Naylor decided that the hearing could continue without the presence of Ms. Thornton or Robin, since Thornton was represented by the prosecution. Instead, Naylor called the first Justice League witness: Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman approached the Bench. "With your permission, Your Honor, I will take the stand first. Then I will act as an attorney for the Justice League for the rest of our presentation."

"That's just fine," said Judge Naylor, eyeing the woman curiously. "Shall I administer the oath?"

"I will swear by my own gods," said Wonder Woman, raising her right hand. "As a servant of Themis, goddess of Justice, I swear to tell the truth without fear or favor, the entire truth and nothing but the truth. Should I break this vow, may the Erinyes…the Furies…pursue me to the death and past Hades' shores."

The judge's face had taken on a slightly worried expression during Wonder Woman's oath, as if fearing that the Furies would suddenly appear in his courtroom. However, he cleared his throat and began to question Wonder Woman. "Wonder Woman, I've read the amicus brief presented by the JLA. Can you expand on the reasons that the JLA has decided to become involved in this case?"

"I am happy to, Your Honor," she replied. "In my culture, as in yours, the training and protection of the young is considered of primary importance. On Themiscyra a young Amazon completes many years of training before being considered an adult. A common educational method is the apprenticeship. An Amazon girl will be taught by an older one who has a skill to be passed on. The apprentice will often reside in the older Amazon's home and be treated as a daughter of the house."

"Yes, Wonder Woman, historically this is one of our training methods as well," the Judge nodded.

"At home, that is on Themiscyra, the training can be dangerous and our young are not shielded from the consequences of their actions. Rather, they learn better by experiencing them. This…over-concern…for danger to a young apprentice is strange to me," Wonder Woman said. "How can a young Amazon learn how to fight properly if she is not challenged? Or if she is never presented with true battle?"

"Well, I can see that things would be different on your home island," Judge Naylor replied. "Culturally, you train your women for war."

Wonder Woman shook her head in frustration. "And that is the problem faced by many in the Justice League, Your Honor, myself included. My sister has come to take up residence with me here, sent by our mother, to begin her Amazon training as my apprentice. How can I provide her the education she needs if the threat of losing her to the Welfare Authorities hangs over her head and mine?" Wonder Woman gestured and a young woman at the back of the room stood up. "This is my sister." She looked to be about thirteen years old and had long dark hair like her sister. "Batman has been put into an impossible position. He is trying to provide the skills necessary for his young apprentice to survive in battle, but you are preventing that education. And not only that, by keeping Robin away, Batman is unable to protect him from. You leave him no honor."

"There is no reason that Robin can't go to school like an ordinary child without being put into danger on a regular basis," Judge Naylor insisted. "I understand that he has a day to day identity that's not known to anyone but Batman."

"Robin is not an ordinary child," Wonder Woman stated. "When Batman retires or is killed, Robin will wear the cowl. That is what he's being trained for by the master detective himself. That involves a special set of skills that he can't obtain in a public school."

"Training your boy to be a vigilante strikes me as an unnecessary…" the Judge began, when Wonder Woman interrupted.

"There are precedents within your culture. Young athletes often live with their coaches for years until they are ready for the Olympics or to become sports professionals," she explained. "And think of the great circus families who train their children from infancy, the Wallendas, the Graysons…their children walk a high wire from the time that their earliest years. Is it dangerous? Yes. But that is how the skills are passed on." She sat back in the seat. "I want to take on an apprentice and do my duty as an Amazon by raising my successor. But I don't want to fall afoul of your laws or worse yet, lose my sister entirely to your heartless child welfare system. That is why I support Batman's case."

The judge sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Point taken, Wonder Woman. Ms. Morrison, would you like to cross-examine?"

"No, I'll pass," said Morrison. Wonder Woman was too persuasive a witness. Better to limit her air time.

"Very well, then, Ms. Baker do you have any questions?"

"Yes, I have a few," Vonnie Baker approached the Amazon. "Wonder Woman, how long have you known Batman?"

"Since the inception of the Justice League," she replied.

"How long have you known Robin?"

"Since he was nine years old and became the Batman's apprentice and foster-son," Wonder Woman replied.

"Have you seen the two of them interact together?"

"Yes. Many times," Wonder Woman said with a smile. "We of the JLA are something like aunts and uncles to young Robin."

"In your opinion and based on your personal observations of the two together, do you consider Batman a fit parent for Robin?"

"Yes, I do," Wonder Woman replied. "Batman can be a difficult taskmaster, but Robin knows his heart and accepts that. The truth is that Batman loves the boy like a son," She paused a moment, remembering. "The time after Two-Face attacked….was very bad for them both. Had the boy died, Batman would have been destroyed. Since then, he watches over the boy carefully to ensure his safety, as do we in the JLA. Robin is the first young person being trained among us but we hope that he won't be the last."

"Thank you, Wonder Woman," said Baker.

The door to the courtroom opened and Superman walked in and pulled up a chair next to Batman.

"How is he?" Batman asked in an undertone.

"They're taking him to surgery. The break in his arm is comminuted now, broken into several fragments. They need to pin it together so it will heal completely. He's looking at a hospital stay," Superman gave Batman a sympathetic look.

"Who's his doctor?" Batman asked. "Rick Shepard is the best."

"That's who he has, the head of orthopedics," Superman grinned. "I asked for the best they had." Nobody turns Superman down.

"He'll need protection until I can get there," Batman replied.

"I've spoken to Captain Gordon," Superman replied. "He has a pair of cops at the door of the operating room right now and they'll follow Robin to his private room. Then I will stop by and keep an eye on him overnight. You need to get some sleep." Superman took in his friend's steady glare. "Okay, but you probably won't."

"Gentlemen," Judge Naylor, who had been listening to the entire exchange, broke in. "I think it's time we resumed the proceedings. Wonder Woman, would you call your next witness?"

"I will," she replied. "I call Superman to the stand." 

* * *

><p>TESTIMONY OF SUPERMAN<p>

Superman, to Judge Naylor's relief, took the standard oath, then sat down in the witness chair.

"Superman, you are a member of the JLA?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Yes, I was a founding member," he replied.

"How long have you known Batman?"

"Since before the JLA, years now," Superman smiled at the memory.

"And Robin?"

"Since Batman took him in," Superman replied. "I remember how excited the boy was to meet me," he grinned, flashing a look at Batman. "Robin's like a nephew to me."

"Do you think that Batman is a good parent?"

Superman thought for a moment, then answered. "He's not an ordinary parent by any means; he's much stricter, for one thing. But I know that Robin loves him and that he's the center of Batman's world. Yes, I think he's a good parent."

"Does Robin seem happy with Batman?"

"Oh yes," Superman chuckled. "The kid is cracking bad jokes while he's pounding on the bad guys. Poor Batman usually just shakes his head and gets down to business, but I've seen him laugh a few times too. He never used to crack a smile before he adopted Robin. And Robin was one of the happiest kids I know, before he was seized by CPS."

"Why are you supporting the JLA's position on this case?" Wonder Woman asked.

Superman looked up at the judge. "I wasn't what you'd call an ordinary kid, and I was adopted at a young age. Everyone knows that. But it's a lonely world when you don't have a family anywhere. The people who raise you become doubly important. Robin needs Batman if he's going to grow up into the kind of man I think he'll be. I don't want to see that broken up. The other reason? Well, many of us in the JLA don't have ordinary human talents but we hope to have children some day. Our children will need to learn to control whatever abilities they inherit so that they don't become a menace to those around them. That training can seem harsh to those on the outside, but it's necessary. Also, we in the JLA often have dangerous enemies and our children will need to be able to defend themselves from an early age. We respect the law, but I don't want my child removed from my care because my 'lifestyle' is a different one of necessity."

"Thank you, Superman," Wonder Woman said.

The judge offered a chance to ask questions to both attorneys but was turned down by the prosecutor. Baker, however, stood up. "I have a few questions, Your Honor." She approached the witness stand.

"Superman, I understand that you consider yourself one of Batman's friends?" she asked.

"Yes, I do," Superman replied.

"You have been in touch with Batman regularly since Robin went into the custody of the Child Protective Services?"

"Yes, I have. I've been…ah…doing some private monitoring of Batman's situation myself," Superman said with an embarrassed smile.

"You've been watching him?" Baker smiled a bit. Batman frowned.

"Well, yes," Superman fidgeted with an apologetic look at Batman. "I knew he's been stretching himself too thin. I was worried. Justifiably, as it turned out."

"Can you explain?"

"It first came to my attention when I read a news report describing how Robin had been taken into custody by the CPS. I sought Batman out and found out from him what had been happening around the boy," Superman said.

"Where was Batman when you found him?"

"It was about three days after Robin was taken. Batman was perched in a tree near Robin's first foster home, watching Robin. Once Robin was taken by CPS, word had gotten around, as far as Metropolis, where he was. Various criminals with grudges against Batman had set a bounty on the boy's head. One consortium wanted him dead. Harvey Dent wanted the boy alive, so that he could ensure his death. Robin's price was rising hourly because of an ongoing bidding war." His voice went low.

"So, Batman was guarding him?"

"Nobody else was," Superman looked grim. "Robin had already been attacked twice at the Gotham Juvenile Center."

"When did you see Batman next?"

"Two days later. Word reached me that the evening I had met with Batman, Robin was shot and killed by assassins. Batman wasn't taking calls, so I flew down to see him; try to offer some comfort. I'd been Robin's foster-uncle for years, so I was pretty upset too. As it turned out, another boy in the foster home had tried on Robin's uniform after Robin went to bed and was shot instead. Batman was already on the scene when it happened, trying to guard Robin."

"How did Batman react to this?"

"Batman didn't rest until he caught the killers. He blamed himself for putting another child in danger by Robin's presence. He allowed the world to believe that Robin had died to try to keep him safe, disguised him and moved him to a different foster home. I don't think Batman had slept from the time Robin was taken until he finally collapsed when Robin was moved to the new foster home."

"I see. So, Robin was in disguise in the new home? Was he safe there?" Baker asked.

Superman snorted with derision. "Robin broke up a fight between his new foster parents. After seeing the boy fight, the foster father recognized him as Robin and sold him to Two-Face."

"How did Batman react to that?"

"Batman went into overdrive. He found Robin but had to trade himself for Robin to get the boy released. I was ready to go in myself but Robin had it figured out." Superman grinned. "The kid threw smoke pellets into the place, distracted them good, and Batman did the rest."

"What happened then?"

Superman frowned heavily. "Robin was injured; spiral fracture. Batman took him to the doctor, then took him home. I could see that both of them were exhausted. Batman…was as tired as I've ever seen him. Is as tired as I've ever known him to be, and that's saying something." Superman glanced at his friend. "He's been trying to out-think the entire criminal underworld of Gotham to protect one small boy. And he's gotten no help from anyone in authority in this city!" Superman glared at the occupants of the courtroom evenly, then settled on Ms. Thornton. "Robin has been in mortal danger since CPS first took him into custody. What happened at lunch today was another prime example. Thanks to CPS' masterful oversight, Robin's back in the hospital with yet another injury." Superman stood up and walked to the Bench, looking up at the judge. "The Justice League and Batman saved him today, as well as young Robin himself. His legal 'guardian'," Superman spat the word out. "was hiding in the women's restroom. I saw her crouched behind the door, waiting for the fight to stop." He turned his glare toward Ms. Thornton.

"In your opinion, Superman, who is a better guardian for Robin? CPS or Batman?" Baker asked serenely.

"Batman. Without a doubt," Superman, still standing, spoke directly to the judge. "That boy hasn't had a day free of fear since he was stolen from his home and family by those harpies," he pointed toward Thornton.

"Thank you, Superman," Baker said. "Do you have anything more to add?"

Superman blushed a bit. "Uh..no, I think that's all I had to say."

The judge, looking abashed, asked the prosecutor, "Any cross-examination?"

Morrison just shook her head, 'no'.

"All right Superman," Judge Naylor said. "Uh…Wonder Woman, please call your next witness."

As Superman passed Batman, heading for the back of the room, Batman murmured," You didn't tell me you were watching me!"

"Would you have allowed it if I had?" Superman shrugged. "Just trying to be there if I were needed."

The Bailiff's phone rang. He answered and approached the judge with a call for him. Judge Naylor looked apologetically at the court, "Just a moment, folks," and spoke softly into the receiver, then put hung up with a worried look on his face.

"I have a message for the members of the Justice League now present and especially you, Batman," the judge cast an uncomfortable glance at Superman. "I'm afraid that there is a gun battle currently in progress at Gotham General Hospital, near operating room number two. Two different gangs are there trying to collect the bounty on one of the patients there; they're fighting each other like a pair of vultures."

"Robin?" demanded Batman.

"There are two Gotham P.D. cops there. They've barricaded themselves inside the operating room and are holding the crooks off for now, but they're running out of ammo. That was Captain Gordon on the phone. It's Robin's operating theater."


	21. It's not working

CHAPTER 20

Author's Note: I'd like to make another plea for reviews. There are upwards of 30 of you following the story and I'd love to hear from you. It fuels the muse!

* * *

><p>Batman, Superman, Green Arrow and Wonder Woman all stood up. "Batman, I'll take you," Superman said urgently, hoping that Batman's love for his son would overcome his usual distaste about being carried by Superman. To Superman's relief, Batman nodded and followed him from the courtroom without comment. They found the window to the courtroom itself and Superman took off at top speed.<p>

When they arrived at Gotham General, all was chaos. Batman spotted Captain Gordon with the SWAT team off to one side, while regular Gotham P.D. were busily evacuating the building of patients and staff. He and Superman dropped to the ground next to Gordon, to his startlement.

"Batman! Superman! I'm glad to see you," Gordon cried as the two landed. "I see you got my message."

"Who do you have up there?" Batman demanded.

"I assigned Torrance and Wilkins to guard the operating room as a precaution. Now it looks like a couple of Gotham's gangs are trying a last-ditch effort to collect Two-Face's bounty. It's up to one million now." Gordon turned and looked wistfully at the second floor hospital windows. "There are about twenty crooks deployed throughout the floor, concentrated in front of the operating room door. We don't dare send in the SWAT team until the patients are cleared from the vicinity."

"And Robin?" Batman asked.

"The doctors had started the operation when the crooks arrived and attacked. As of ten minutes ago, they're trying to close and prep him for transportation, assuming we can get them out. The operation will have to be repeated later. Several bullets penetrated into the room itself and hit a nurse, so the staff are all gathered at the far end of the room, using what they can for cover."

"So, the first order of business is to evacuate the operating room," Superman said, looking up at the second floor speculatively. "I can see which room it is; they have one injured, just a flesh wound that I can see. Robin…will be more of a challenge. They still have him on a ventilator, I can't carry both the boy and the machine. Batman, can you clear the hallway? I'll evacuate the operating room. Gordon, I understand that the officers defending are out of ammunition. I can take some in, if you'll provide it."

Gordon quickly shook down the local SWAT team for extra ammo and supplied Superman.

"What about us?" demanded Wonder Woman and Green Arrow, suddenly standing there.

"You're with me," Batman said, pulling a batarang out and heading into the hospital, followed by the other two heroes. 

* * *

><p>Superman flew up to the second floor of the hospital and broke a hole into the wall, to the shock and startlement of the people inside the operating room. They had turned over a couple of gurneys and were crouched behind them while bullets whizzed through the room. One nurse was having her arm bandaged while the surgeon was busily stitching up an incision on the arm of the patient, who lay unconscious on the floor.<p>

"I'm here to get you out," said Superman. "Who goes first?"

"You can't take Robin yet, until I pull the ventilator," One nurse said. The surgeon looked up from his work. "I'm not done yet," he said, bending back to his work. "Take Gina and Mark," he nodded his head toward the two nurses off to one side. "Mark should be done bandaging her by now."

"All right," Superman said, grabbing both nurses and quickly taking them out of the room. He flew them down and deposited them lightly on the tarmac. Then he flew back up again.

In the meantime, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman and Batman were busily disposing of criminals. Batman recognized one man and knocked the gun out of his fist, then pulled him to cover behind a drinking fountain. "Jeff Borden, what are you doing here? I didn't think Desmond was involved in this."

"S..sorry Batman, but he thought the pickings were easy and he got word that the kid was gonna be here. But he doesn't want us to kill him; Desmond just wants him for a hostage. It's those guys who want him dead," Borden cast a scornful look at the other gang.

"Uh huh," Batman said grimly. "Tell you what. You call your friends there and tell 'em to go home and I won't put you into a body cast. The pickings _aren't _easy here. Not today, not ever. Can you tell your boss that?" Batman shook him once, fiercely.

Borden nodded and put two fingers in his mouth into a shrill whistle. Immediately the gunmen began backing away. When they saw Batman with Borden, they backed away faster until there was only one group of gunmen left. Batman released Borden's arm and strode forward toward the other gang, which was advancing.

Green Arrow and Wonder Woman moved forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Bat as they approached.

Superman came back into the operating room and heard the absence of gunfire. "How's it going?" he called to the two defending cops.

"Batman's got 'em talking to him. Wait…Huh. They're dispersing! I think we're almost done here."

"Good," Superman said, arms folded. He advanced toward the doors and pushed the cops gently aside. He opened the doors and stood in them, looking as imposing as possible. The second gang, already cowed at the sight of the three heroes, looked up at Superman, gulped, and threw their weapons down, rushing to get out as fast as possible. Arrow made as if to chase them down, but Batman shook his head. "Don't worry, Gordon's boys will get them."

Batman's posture relaxed as he walked toward Superman. "Any injuries?" he nodded his head toward the operating room.

"One nurse has a flesh wound. Robin is fine, but he'll have to do the surgery again," Superman backed away from the door as Batman pushed through.

The Batman held himself in place when he saw his young partner huddled on the floor behind two gurneys. "Doctor Shepard," Batman addressed the young man just getting to his feet next to the gurney. "How is he doing?"

"I wasn't able to do the surgery I'd planned," Shepard replied. "Too much risk of lead poisoning, if you catch my drift. We've got him off the ventilator and he'll be coming out of anesthesia in about twenty minutes or so."

"Can he be moved safely? What kind of aftercare will need until the next attempt at surgery?" Batman edged toward his boy.

"He can be moved. I managed to move the bones into place and pin them. If he keeps his arm still and doesn't …ahh…use his cast as a weapon, it should heal. I took a few shortcuts, but I'm hopeful that he won't need another surgery. I'll prescribe some pain medication for him. Bed rest for today, anti-nausea medicine and general rest until I certify him fit," the surgeon replied.

"Good. Superman, would you do me a favor? Robin's being discharged from the hospital right now. Would you take him to the batcave for his recovery?" Batman's eyes narrowed as he examined the bullet holes in the walls of the room. "Robin's staying with me until they pry him away."

Superman paused, then nodded. "All right, but I hope you know what you're doing." The man of steel moved forward and gathered Robin into his arms after the nurses had disconnected the various IV's. Wrapped tightly in a blanket, Robin made a small bundle in Superman's arms. Once the boy was secured, Superman stepped to the hole in the hospital wall and took off.

When they had disappeared, Batman finally relaxed his rigid stance, almost falling over onto Wonder Woman. "Come on, Batman," she said softly. "Let's get you a cup of coffee before you have to face the world again."

He was never sure later how Diana knew where the hospital cafeteria was, but he was grateful when they got there. It was empty of course, evacuated. But the coffee was still hot and the tables were empty. They left a pile of change next to the cash register.

"How firm are you that you're keeping Robin no matter what?" Diana asked tentatively.

Batman cast her a furious look. "You know the story. It won't work; I can't give him back to those CPS idiots and I can't protect him while they have him."

"Being on the run from the police won't be easy on him either," Diana sipped at her coffee. "You must admit that Robin has learned, in a powerful way, how important his incognito is."

Batman snorted. "Diana, only you could turn this into an educational opportunity for Robin. Better to say that the Batman has learned how important security is." He took a gulp of coffee. "For two cents I'd ground the boy and let him grow up normal."

"But you can't do that," Diana said delicately. "He'll think it's his fault, that it's an additional punishment for what Dent did to him or for being spotted as Robin in foster care. None of this is his fault."

"No, it's mine," Batman said darkly. "Maybe they're right and I'm putting him into danger whenever he dons the costume. But..Dick doesn't want to lose Robin. And neither do I. Somehow, he makes it all worthwhile."

"You know that I've always had my doubts about your recruiting Robin so young. But the fact remains, he's taken to it naturally. I don't think he could lay it down now even if he wanted to. The work is in his blood. The only thing you can do now is to teach him safety. We can help with that too, you know," she drank the last of her coffee. "Yours is not the only martial arts discipline. I can teach him some Amazon unarmed fighting techniques and quarterstaff as well. I think that Superman knows some Kryptonian mediation that the boy would find useful. Let us help, Bruce."

Bruce set his cup down. "Thank you, Diana. I'll keep that in mind." He stood up. "I'd better get back to that judge. And I wonder what happened to Ms. Thornton?"

"Oh, there you are," Gordon came in through the doorway. "Coffee, huh? Wish I had that and some doughnuts to go with…Now, no cop jokes here," he said to Batman's and Wonder Woman's smiles.

"How's it going up there, Jim?" Batman asked.

"We're done mopping up. They're starting to move patients back into the hospital. I saw Superman leave, so I assume that Robin will be recovering off-site," Gordon went over to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup, then left more change on the counter.

"Is that coffee I smell?" Superman walked in through the door and poured himself a cup, then patted his pockets absently. Batman tossed some more money on the counter with a grin.

"How did it go? How is he?" Batman asked.

"Just fine," Superman said. "I..uh...left him with your personnel and he was just waking up when I left. Thought I'd come back here to give you a ride back to the courthouse since you don't have a car with you." 

* * *

><p>WAYNE MANOR<p>

Dick Grayson woke slowly, smelling lavender on his sheets. His arm hurt and felt nauseated but the sheets smelled like lavender, not like disinfectant or like cheap laundry detergent. He was home.

His eyes opened on a late afternoon at Wayne Manor, the breeze blowing through the sheer curtains in the full-length windows. He felt relaxed and hopeful again.

"Hello, young Master Dick," Alfred got up from an armchair nearby. "And how are you feeling?"

"Good," Dick said, then felt the surge of nausea. Oh yeah, he'd had anesthesia, he always wanted to puke his guts out then. "Um…" A bucket was presented for his use and he gratefully used it. Alfred went over to the IV and injected something into it.

"Your nausea should clear shortly," Alfred said, removing the bucket to the bathroom.

Dick looked around the room. "Why aren't I in the hospital? And how long am I in for?"

Alfred returned to Dick's bedside and poured him a glass of water. "To clear your mouth, young sir," he handed it to him. "I am told, bed rest for today but rest in general until you are examined by the doctor again and released to normal activities. And…erm…not to use your cast as a weapon again," Alfred added with a smile.

"Oh yeah, I kinda figured that one out," Dick held his arm out and looked at it. "Looks sturdy, though."

"Well, I trust that you will resist the temptation. Would you care for lunch? Some soup, perhaps?"

Dick thought for a moment. "No, not yet. My stomach is still bugging me. Maybe in an hour or so, Alfie." He picked up the television remote with his left hand. "I'll watch some tv, okay?"

"Very well, then," Alfred said and prepared to leave the room. "I will check on you in an hour or so. Call if you need anything."

"I will, Alfie," Dick said, eyes focused on the television screen. After Alfred had left the room, he turned to the Gotham all-news channel. As he suspected, his hospitalization had been eventful. Twelve arrests, four Gotham cops injured, one nurse shot, the Gotham SWAT team called out…His eyes narrowed when he saw the footage of Superman carrying him out of the hole in the hospital wall and flying him away…He shut the tv off, then lay back in bed and considered his recent past until he drifted off to sleep. 

* * *

><p>Bruce came in later, having seen off Superman and Donna, Wonder Woman's young sister. Diana Prince and Oliver Queen were staying the night, Ollie so that he could testify the next day. Diana had said she wanted to discuss tomorrow's court hearing with Bruce.<p>

His first stop was Dick's room. Alfred had assured him that the boy was doing quite well, but Bruce wanted to check for himself. He let himself in quietly and sat down in the armchair. Dick was fast asleep, arm in a sturdy cast. Alfred had set up a port in the boy's other arm for antibiotics and fluids. Bruce sighed and leaned back into the chair, rubbing his tired eyes with a hand.

"It isn't working, is it?" Dick's soft voice interrupted his reverie.

"Dick, you're awake. I'm sorry I woke you up," Bruce said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"The way I usually do after surgery," Dick said. "My stomach hates me and my arm hurts. Other than that, I'm fine." Dick looked away from his mentor. "But like I was saying, Bruce. This isn't working, is it?"

"What isn't working?"

"Me. Robin," Dick replied flatly. "Because of me, you're in trouble with the CPS people. They keep trying to put me somewhere, but Two-Face keeps finding me. People are starting to get hurt trying to protect me. This just isn't right, Bruce," his face looked inexpressibly sad. "I need to give up being Robin, don't I?"

"No. No, Dick, we'll find a way," Bruce said, feeling his gut twist inside him.

"I'm putting you in danger; don't think I haven't noticed you shadowing me, Bruce. You haven't gotten hurt yet, but it's only a matter of time. I…I saw the news report about the hospital today," Robin's voice quavered. "I had to be rescued by Superman! All that chaos, all because I was there..at the hospital. And…Tiffany's husband got killed because of me…And James.." He looked up at Bruce, tears filling his eyes. "People are dying, Bruce. That's not what Robin is all about. I'm supposed to save people, not be responsible for their deaths!"

Bruce moved over to the edge of the bed and gingerly gathered his son into his arms. His child burrowed into Bruce's chest, trying to find safety and security. "Don't you see? I can't be Robin anymore," Dick's muffled voice came to his father. Bruce kissed his boy on top of his head then rested his chin there.

"I don't want to lose Robin any more than you do," Bruce said softly. "Let's give it a couple more days, okay? Just get through the court case and let's see what happens. Just remember, whether you're Robin or not, this is your home. You're still my kid, understood?"

"Okay," the boy said doubtfully. Bruce pulled away and tucked him back into bed. "Are you going to stay here?"

Bruce nodded. "Until you go to sleep, I'll be here. And I'll check on you during the night. No nightmares, okay?"

Dick's eyes closed. "'Kay," he murmured and drifted off.

Bruce sat quietly in the chair for a while, listening to his son's quiet breathing. Then he got up and went downstairs to the drawing room where his guests had gathered after dinner. Diana had said she wanted to talk about tomorrow's continue hearing. She had an idea that might help.


	22. Wonder Woman's Suggestion

CHAPTER 21

COURTHOUSE

The three heroes arrived early. They had discussed Diana's idea at length the night before and had given it a trial run. Batman, after long consideration, had given his permission to try it but only if it were needed and with the limitations she had proposed. Diana had sworn solemnly to abide by Batman's decision.

On the way into the courthouse, Batman took the lead and Ollie grabbed Diana's arm, pulling her back.

"You're not really gonna make the Bat cry, are you?" he demanded in a hoarse whisper.

She shrugged. "If it's necessary, I will. Batman needs that boy to stay sane. And the world needs a Batman. You know as well as I do how important he is to the League."

Green Arrow eyed her narrowly. "Nobody is indispensable."

"Well, consider it a favor for a friend, then," Wonder Woman replied crisply. "Besides, he's agreed to it if we have to use it."

"Are you two coming?" Batman called to the two heroes trailing behind him. Today he held his body more stiffly than usual. He'd said last night, only half joking, that he'd prefer Wonder Woman cut off his arm. She had replied that if an amputation would work, she'd try that too.

Green Arrow shrugged and stepped up the pace. They were soon joining Batman at the courthouse door. Alice Barry was there, waiting patiently. Wonder Woman stopped to say hello and soon the two were deep in discussion of knitting patterns.

Green Arrow and Batman both shook their heads and went inside. Batman went into a huddle with Vonnie Baker. She looked thoughtful when he mentioned Wonder Woman's suggestion but agreed that it was Batman's case and she saw no reason not to try it if necessary. Wonder Woman entered the room just before Judge Naylor took his seat on the bench.

Once the parties were assembled, Judge Naylor frowned down at Batman from the bench. "Am I to understand, Batman, that you discharged Robin from the hospital early and took him home with you against CPS' express orders?"

"Your honor…." Baker started, but Batman put a hand on her shoulder and got to his feet.

"No, I'll explain," Batman said evenly. "We had just cleared the building of twenty various gang members, all armed with guns who were there to either kill or kidnap my child. When we entered the operating room, the doctor told me that Robin was ready to go home. At that point, the hospital was in disarray, Ms. Thornton was absent, much as she had disappeared during the attempted kidnapping at lunchtime, and there was no representative from CPS available for me to apply to for permission to take my child home. I made a decision based on the immediate dangers of the situation, namely that if Robin stayed in that hospital he was liable to another attack. Superman offered his services to take him safely home and I accepted. No bullet was going to get anywhere near Robin while in Superman's custody. If you wish, I can have Robin back in this court house later today." Batman sat again.

The judge reluctantly said, "Very well, have him here today after lunch."

Batman nodded and said, "I'll make the arrangements." 

* * *

><p>TESTIMONY OF ALICE BARRY<p>

"Good morning. I'd like to ask the parties if they're willing to take another witness out of order. Ms. Alice Barry spent yesterday waiting her turn to testify but we were unavoidably delayed by the …uh…emergencies. Is that acceptable to the parties? I don't want to leave her out there for another day."

"That's fine with me, Your Honor," Baker rose and said. Morrison rose and also agreed.

Accordingly, the bailiff went and got Alice Barry. She looked much cowed as she entered the courtroom, but caught Wonder Woman's eye and straightened up.

Vonnie Baker approached her. "Hello, could you state your name and occupation for the record?"

"Alice Barry…um…formerly a social worker for the Gotham Child Protective Services," Barry said.

"Former? Why former?"

"I was fired for insubordination," Barry replied, casting a side glance at Thornton at the other counsel table.

"I see. And what was the nature of your insubordination?" Baker asked, purposely blocking Barry's line of sight to Thornton.

"I wrote a report making a recommendation that went against department policy and refused to retract it," Barry said, her chin up.

"What was it that you recommended that got you fired?" Baker asked.

"It's all here in the report they wouldn't accept," Barry pulled a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to Baker.

"Can you give the court a synopsis?"

"In brief, I found that Batman was a perfectly good parent and recommended that the minor be returned to him immediately," Barry said.

"Let's get this marked and entered into evidence, Defendant's next in order," said Baker. "I assume that the prosecution already has a copy of this in Robin's file?"

Glaring, the prosecutor nodded her head, pulling a copy from Thornton's file. Baker handed her copy to the judge after a quick glance.

"On what basis did you feel that Batman is a good parent?" Baker asked as the judge scanned the report.

"Where do I start? Once Robin was in CPS' custody, I found out that the boy was the target of various criminal elements. When Robin was injured, his second night at the GYC, Batman met me at the hospital. He was quite upset that I'd failed to protect Robin. He spent the night himself in Robin's hospital room, guarding him." She laughed a little. "This is not ordinary behavior on the part of most parents I deal with."

"Any other…ah…unusual behavior?"

"The next day I took Robin to a foster home, one of our best. I heard later from Mrs. Henderson that Batman had been their dinner guest that night and had had a long discussion with Mr. Henderson about Robin's security. Of course, the next night, young James was shot while wearing Robin's costume," she sighed. "Batman was there, of course, guarding Robin. He didn't know that the dead boy wasn't his son; I saw Batman at the hospital when the doctor broke the news to him. He was…defeated. The only time I ever saw him look like that."

"I understand that Batman discovered the truth himself, once he saw that the body wasn't Robin's," Baker said.

"Oh yes, then Batman approached me with a plan to keep Robin safe in his next foster home. It was Batman who came up with the idea of disguising Robin and changing his name to ensure his safety at the next foster home." She grinned a bit. "He's the one who talked Robin into the crew cut and did the barbering himself, as well as supplying some distinctive clothing so that Robin wouldn't be recognized. I must say, it took some persuasion to talk the boy into looking like…what did he call it? A dork."

Batman hid a smile at that, then reverted to his serious but attentive expression.

Baker didn't suppress her smile. "I see. Any other parental behavior?"

"When I got the call that Robin wasn't in his bed that morning at the new foster home, I had a bad feeling. I contacted Captain Gordon immediately and I understand that Batman went out and tracked the boy down. Rescued him from the criminal who had Robin, at some risk to himself," she sighed. "And another damned injury to Robin. That's what made my mind up. That, and something Robin said to me."

"What was that?"

"Robin told me that he just wanted to go home and he was tired of being scared all the time. I asked him whether being Batman's sidekick didn't frighten him just as much, given how many violent people he was in contact with. Robin said that whenever he was with Batman he felt safe. But since CPS had taken him, he'd become a powerless little kid, being moved around by grownups and that Batman wasn't allowed to protect him and neither was he allowed to protect himself. In essence, we'd taken away his home, his self-determination and his own self-respect." She shifted a bit, guilty look on her face. "I can't argue with his perception."

"Is that what you told your supervisor at CPS?" Baker asked.

"Oh yes. That and more," Barry replied. "The next thing I knew, I was fired and forbidden to attend this court hearing. I decided to call you and let you know what had happened. That, and the fact that CPS would never let him keep Robin, no matter how stellar a parent Batman is."

Batman frowned, as did Judge Naylor. "Why is that?" Baker asked.

"There is an unwritten policy at the CPS that unmarried people are never allowed to have a child, either as a foster parent or an adoptive one. The feeling among my former superiors is that the only acceptable parenting situation is a married couple. Other than that, the child will remain in CPS custody, either in the Youth Center, a group home or foster home," Barry replied with pursed lips.

"Did you find this troubling?"

"I didn't until this case. I saw what a phenomenal parent one man could be and knew that he had no chance at all of keeping his child, no matter what he did," Barry made eye contact with a shocked looking Batman. "I'm sorry, Batman, but that's the truth of the situation. You never had a chance," she said apologetically.

"Do you have any proof to back up your statements?" Judge Naylor asked Barry.

"I do, Your Honor," Barry replied. "I've supplied Ms. Baker with in-house statistical reports that show no adoptions or foster placements to a single parent for the past ten years, since Ms. Thornton took over the department. Ms. Baker is giving you one right now," she said.

While Barry spoke, Baker dropped a thick stack of papers onto the Morrison's table and handed another packet up to the judge. "I'd ask that it be marked next in order for Defense and entered into evidence," Baker said.

"So ordered," Naylor said, handing the evidence to the clerk for marking, then taking it back to study. 

* * *

><p>[AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a real trial there would be cross examination to follow direct examination. To keep the jury (i. e. you) from falling asleep, I will be skipping testimony where it doesn't have any direct bearing on the story. You don't really want to hear the prosecutor grilling Alice Barry about how she's bitter about getting fired, do you?] <p>

* * *

><p><p>

- Cross examination of Alice Barry by Prosecution skipped- 

* * *

><p>"All right," said Naylor. "We're catching up. I understand that the JLA has one more witness to call. Go ahead, Wonder Woman."<p>

TESTIMONY OF GREEN ARROW

Wonder Woman called her final witness, Green Arrow.

A man dressed in green, carrying (against court rules) a bow and quiver of arrows stalked up to the stand and sat down.

Wonder Woman swore Green Arrow in and he sat comfortably in the witness seat, crossing his feet at his ankles.

"Green Arrow, I understand that you are known to have a new adolescent side-kick?" Wonder Woman stated.

"Yes. I recently became guardian to a boy who is very talented with the bow as well as in martial arts," Green Arrow replied.

"And you are here today, why?"

"I don't live in Gotham City, but I do know Batman and have known Robin since he was nine. I recently adopted a boy, Speedy, whom I am training to be my sidekick, much as Robin is for Batman. My life as Green Arrow is not an average one and certainly not as safe as though I were, say, a millionaire industrialist," Green Arrow smirked a bit, before he caught Batman's glare. He straightened up in his chair. "The point is, Speedy and I do good work and we're an excellent team. I watch out for his safety constantly and he is being trained to do what I do. The decision this court makes will ultimately affect me as well because it will form a precedent. My life isn't that much more dangerous than that of a circus trapeze artist or wire walker. But will I lose my own child because I choose to help uphold the law instead of giving circus performances? I'm here to ask that Batman be given a chance to raise his kid in his own way."

"I see," Judge Naylor steepled his fingers. "And you feel that your situation is comparable to that of the Batman?"

"Very much so, Your Honor," Green Arrow replied earnestly. "I mean, we aren't in your jurisdiction, but I'm not a meta-human either. I'm just a plain human being with some exceptional skills. But I feel responsible to use those skills for the public good; that's been my philosophy of life and what I'm teaching my ward. I know that Batman feels the same about the use of his particular skillset. He's a hero, judge! He's singlehandedly brought down more criminals in a year than the Gotham P.D. could put away in ten. This is no time to punish him for that success."

"Despite the fact that Robin isn't even a teenager yet? The danger that the boy has been subjected to so far is considerable," Judge Naylor challenged.

"Danger is everywhere," Green Arrow said quietly. "It's on street corners, on suburban streets. It can be found near drug dealers peddling drugs at schools, with child molesters haunting public parks. I would submit that the kids who have a League member training them are safer than the common run of child because they learn discipline, self-defense and have an entire group of adults watching out for them. Robin has admitted it himself, Batman told him to stay home and he disobeyed. Batman tried but couldn't prevent the beating, but he did save Robin from being killed outright. Nothing's perfect, but our kids do learn a level of discipline beyond what the average child gets." Green Arrow paused. "And there's one other thing. Batman loves that kid like crazy. Man! Vitamins. Organic Food. The kid barely sees a potato chip from month to month; they have transfats, you know…." Seeing Batman's glare, Ollie slowed down. "Uh..in any case, I think you should ask Robin what he wants. Nobody has bothered to listen to him yet."

"Duly noted," Judge Naylor said. "Wonder Woman, do you have any more witnesses to present?"

"No, Your Honor," Wonder Woman replied. "Since Superman isn't here today, I'd ask your permission to remain as the JLA's representative and observer."

"That's fine," Naylor responded. "Any cross-examination from either attorney? No? Very well, Green Arrow, you are released."

Green Arrow got up and stepped down the aisle, making a 'call-me!' gesture with his hand as he passed Wonder Woman.

"All right, Prosecution, do you have any more witnesses to present?" Judge Naylor asked.

Morrison stood up and said, "I would like to complete my direct examination of Batman."

Judge Naylor sighed. This trial had already gone much longer than most juvenile dependency trials usually did. "Ms. Morrison, do you plan to run Batman through a list of each and every injury Robin has sustained since becoming Batman's partner?"

"Uh, yes Your Honor, I had," she admitted.

"Don't need it. I've got the evidence in the medical records and the testimony of the minor's doctor—and no, I don't want to sit and listen to you grill Batman about injuries not included in the records," Naylor leaned back in his chair. "I'll take judicial notice of the fact that Batman's job as a vigilante is a dangerous one. Is that acceptable, counsel?"

Both attorneys looked troubled. Morrison nodded her head slowly. "All right, Your Honor, that's pretty much what we're contending."

Baker shot a glance at her client. Then, realizing that Batman would be the first to admit how dangerous his line of work was, caved in. "All right, your honor. We'll concede that."

"Good. One bridge crossed. Now, Ms. Morrison, do you require Batman's testimony for anything else you can't get on cross?"

"Well, yes, Your Honor," Morrison cast the judge a defiant look. "I want to know how often Batman's alleged efforts to protect his partner fail. Every injury that boy has marks a time when Batman has failed to protect him. That goes to the heart of my case."

"Let's allow the Defense to begin their case in chief. If the issue isn't covered, such that you can cross-examine on it, I'll allow you to reopen and get Batman's testimony on the subject. Will that work for you counsel?"

Vonnie Baker nodded immediately. Morrison agreed as well. This left her with the chance to present damaging testimony last in order, leaving a bad taste in the judge's mouth before he had to make his decision. 

* * *

><p>TESTIMONY OF BATMAN<p>

Batman took the standard oath and made himself comfortable in the witness chair. Baker started gradually. "Batman, how long have you been a costumed vigilante in Gotham City?"

"About six years, I suppose," Batman replied.

"Did you receive any training for your job?" Baker asked.

Batman half-smiled. "I've been training for this job all my life. But yes, I've studied various forms of martial arts, weaponry, acrobatics, gymnastics as well as law, forensics and criminal science."

"How long ago did you first meet the boy you call Robin?"

Batman's eyes grew shadowed as he recalled. "About two years ago," he replied.

"Under what circumstances?"

"His…family was in danger, being threatened by the mob. I stepped in, trying to protect them. I failed," Batman grew still, clearly affected by the memory.

"What happened to Robin's family?"

"They were murdered in front of Robin," his hands began tightening on the arms of the chair, but his face was impassive.

"Why did you take Robin in?"

"It was…logical," Batman replied. "He had no family to take him in and the murderers wanted him, since he was the only witness. I thought I could protect him."

"But I think there was something more, wasn't there?" Baker gently prodded.

"Yes. I…had a similar experience as a child. I lost my family at an early age. I had a certain sympathy for Robin's plight. He was an orphan and I had a home…" Batman was silent, clearly trying to reach for the words. "He needed someone." Batman finished helplessly.

"You talk about sympathy, why did you decide to raise him? Why not just put him in an orphanage or a foster home? You had no tie to him."

"I had a tie," Batman said. "I lost my family at a young age too. I had guardians who saw to it that I was fed and clothed, but I had no family except for one adult who watched out for me. I couldn't leave him alone in the world."

"Why did you bring Robin into your vigilante world?"

Batman visibly struggled with the answer. "As I've said before, he had a talent for the work and I felt that his talent deserved training. I also…had another reason…" He fell silent, struggling to phrase the answer. He didn't want to do this. He'd protected his inner self since his parents were murdered. Wonder Woman's offer ran through his mind and he rejected it; it wasn't reasonable to expect... Superman's voice rang through his memory…_ Go back in there and beg if you have to … You can only persuade, like you've never persuaded before, that you're the best parent possible for that boy…_ _You love him… You'd give your life for this boy …If he died, it would destroy you. …You want Dick back? Let them see that…_

Wonder Woman stepped forward, meeting Batman's eyes questioningly. Batman sighed and nodded. Judge Naylor glanced at Wonder Woman. "Was there something you wanted to say, Wonder Woman?"

"Your Honor, while I've known Batman to be a superlative man of action, he is less apt in expressing himself where his personal feelings are involved. With your permission, I think that I can assist him to tell you the full truth that you demand."

The judge's eyebrow raised. "What do you mean, Wonder Woman?"

She pulled a golden lasso off her hip. "You may have heard of this lasso. It compels the one bound by it to speak the truth. With Batman's permission, which he has just granted, I would like to encircle him with it and hopefully allow him to give a fuller testimony than he otherwise would."

"Counsel? What is your position?" Judge Naylor looked at both attorneys.

"It's unusual," Vonnie Baker said. "But then, the entire case has been. My client has already spoken to me of this possibility. If he wants it, I won't stop him."

"Ms. Morrison?" Judge Naylor asked.

Morrison let out a long breath. "You aren't kidding this is a weird case! Okay, I'm all right with it as long as the lasso stays on during cross-examination."

"Batman, is this your wish?" Judge Naylor asked.

"It is, Your Honor," Batman said quietly. "If it will enable me to fight for Robin, it's worth it."

"Proceed, Wonder Woman," Judge Naylor directed. Accordingly, she looped the lasso around Batman. "Batman, you will speak the truth from your heart. But I do not compel you to reveal secrets that will endanger you or yours. Is this acceptable to you?"

"Yes," Batman said, his voice firmer. "Thank you Wonder Woman."

Wonder Woman stood off to one side, still holding the end of the lasso. "You may continue questioning him."


	23. Making a Bat Cry

CHAPTER 22

As the lasso began to glow a gentle gold, Baker, eyebrows raised, asked, "What was your other reason for introducing Robin to your vigilante world?"

"I became an orphan at an early age. After my own family was killed, I lived obsessed with revenge throughout my childhood and youth. The pain of losing those I loved encompassed me," Batman said. "After Robin's parents were murdered, I saw that pain in his eyes, that rage, the hatred and desire for vengeance. I decided that if there were any way to keep him from suffering the way I had, I'd do it. I gave him the ability to seek justice and helped him track down his family's murderer. He got closure, something I still don't have." Batman turned his face away. "I still mourn the people I lost, every day. My son, at least, can move past it and have a joyful life."

"Do you ever regret training Robin as Batman's partner?"

Batman gave a derisive chuckle. "Every day. When I'm sweating, hoping that this isn't the time the jump line fails, or when I'm almost too slow to shield him from gunfire, I regret my decision. He's trained; I've made him as safe as it's possible for him to be. But life isn't predictable and although I prepare for every contingency, there are times when things don't go to plan. Or when Robin gets injured, yes, I regret my decision to train him as my partner."

"So, you would prefer that Robin not partner you?"

"Not exactly. Robin loves being Robin and his joy in crime-fighting carries over to me. Frankly, he has so much fun being a hero that I enjoy it more with him than I ever did without him. But I'm very conscious of my responsibility as the adult to plan and strategize to keep the risk level down and to also keep an eye on what Robin is doing at any given moment when we're on scene. Just the same, I enjoy having him as a partner and it's useful having a second person available to take down crooks or act as a second set of eyes on stakeout."

"What do you think would happen if you gave him up to an ordinary family and an ordinary life?"

Batman sighed. "Don't you think I haven't been considering that throughout this mess?" He looked up, first at Baker and Wonder Woman, standing like a statue next to him, then at the judge. "What he is, he is. He may decide to go by a different name later in life, but he's Robin inside and always will be. The fact that Hal Carter picked up on that so quickly bears me out. Robin can't hide what he is," something like despair flashed across Batman's features. "If Robin ever went to live as an ordinary child, I can tell you what would happen…He won't be left alone. Either the underworld will catch up to him and he'll be killed, held hostage or..." Batman forced the word out."…tortured...for my secrets. Or, he'll be forced into some criminal organization. His martial arts skills are already so good that the League of Assassins wants him. Ask Gordon about the school for 'young ninjas' as he called it." Batman paused, remembering Shrike and the assassin training Dick had been forced through. "Another professional mercenary has already approached me, badly wanting Robin as an apprentice. He'd destroy Robin." He remembered the threats Slade had made when Batman turned him down flat. "I take care that Robin doesn't know about the vultures waiting to pick him apart and use him. I don't want the boy to worry; that's for me to do. But the only way to keep him safe is to keep him close."

Judge Naylor noted that Batman was looking nearly exhausted. Wonder Woman, standing next to him, had gone pale. Maybe she hadn't known before today about all the criminal organizations stalking the boy.

"What has it been like for you since CPS took Robin into custody?"

Batman paused in thought, then looked up, his eyes bleak. "I think the word 'horrific' sums it up pretty well. For the most part I've seen Robin daily since CPS got him, guarding him, given the circumstances."

"What circumstances are those?"

"From the moment CPS took custody of Robin, his location became public knowledge. That's one reason we both keep our identities secret. Once word got out on the street that Robin was a CPS ward, various criminals with a beef against me or Robin began offering money for him, dead or alive. As word spread, it developed into a bidding war, with the price varying depending on which criminal or gang wanted him most. Two-Face, oddly enough wasn't the highest bidder. The offer topped a million dollars from a group out of Arkham, headed by the Joker," Batman smiled grimly. "I decided that I needed to keep a close eye on Robin after his second night in CPS' custody when he was knifed in his room."

Baker went on. "In contrast, Batman, there's been an allegation that you never saw Robin while he was in the custody of CPS. If you were guarding him, that can't be true. Let's go through the days, then. First, the evening Robin was taken by CPS?"

"I met him on the rooftop of the GYC," Batman snorted with amusement. "They had him dressed in jeans two sizes too big and shoes that were so large a clown could wear them. Robin told me that they'd put him in his own room and taken his uniform. "

"The next day?"

"Robin was still at GYC. He met me on the rooftop again but looked considerably more battered. He'd defended a kid from some bullies in the lunch line. He had bruised knuckles, two black eyes and a split lip but told me the other kids looked worse so I didn't worry much. I gave him a transmitter for emergencies and warned him about the bounty on his head; told him to watch out. I didn't know that the guards were already compromised. I also brought him a pair of shoes that fit." Batman cast a glare toward Thornton.

"You saw Robin later that night?"

"At the hospital after he was attacked. I stayed in his room to keep an eye on him. Later, when Ms. Barry took him to his foster home, I followed and stayed unseen for the next two days."

"Had circumstances changed?"

"The bounty on Robin's head had gone up and was still climbing. I was invited to dinner the evening of Robin's first day at the Hendersons', so I attended. It gave me a chance to get to know the Henderson family and size them up."

"And your opinion of them?"

"Nice people. I thought it would be a good environment for Robin. I stayed in the background just to make sure there was no trouble. But I warned Greg about the problems we'd had, especially since it was a remote area. He said he'd load his shotgun and keep it handy in case it was needed."

"You were back at the Hendersons' the next day?"

"I never left," Batman looked grim. "I'd been watching Robin's surroundings and all was quiet until that evening. I saw…Robin…leave the house and stand in the yard. Then he was cut down by gunfire…" Batman closed his eyes and fought with his emotions, then scrubbed at an eye under the cowl. "…damned lasso…I ran to him but it was already too late, he was bleeding out. I tried CPR but it was ineffective. I…felt him die…" Batman closed his hands, palms up and drew a long ragged breath.

"It wasn't him, though," Baker added anxiously. Batman looked close to a cardiac. Her witness drew a deep breath and exerted iron control.

"No, it wasn't. But I didn't know that until the doctor took me in to see the body. I called Henderson and found out what actually had happened to Robin—he was in the house with the other kids. That's when Gordon, Alice Barry and I hatched a plan to disguise the boy and hide him in plain sight. The morning of the shooting she took him to the Carters' house."

"And you saw Robin again the next day in a planned visit," Baker said.

"Yes," The grim set of Batman's face relaxed. "At the CPS offices. We had let it be known that Robin was murdered and hoped it would be enough to throw off pursuit for him." He smiled a bit. "How Robin hated that haircut…"

"When did you next see him?"

Batman's face darkened. "That same evening, Robin broke up a fight between Carter and his wife and apparently threatened Carter not to abuse his wife any more. Harvey Dent had won an appeal and had been released that day as well. Carter sought out Dent and offered to sell Robin to him for ten thousand dollars,"

"What was your reaction to that?"

Batman lowered his head and said in muffled tones, "During our visit at CPS, Robin told me that something about Hal Carter felt wrong, he disliked the man but didn't know why," Batman looked up, ashamed. "I ignored him. Brushed it off... I disregarded his fears. Later I found out he'd been sold by his foster father…The man in whose home he was supposed to be protected and safe.. Supposedly safer than he could be with me?" His voice shook with emotion and he clenched a fist.

"What did you do when you found out that Robin had been kidnapped?"

"The first place I looked for Robin was the warehouse… where Dent….almost…beat…him… to death..." The words were forced out of him as he visibly strained against the lasso. "Two-Face left me a message there. I found Hal Carter's body, hands holding a…dead….robin with its wings broken. I knew that I had to find Robin and fast!"

"Where did you find him?"

"Where else? 2222 Doubleday, the house where Robin later refused to play Two-Face's game." Batman's features grew bleak. "When I got there, Dent had already started to work him over with a bat, trying to finish what he'd started a year ago. None of this…none of this would have happened if Robin had been safe at home with me!"

"You got Robin away from Dent, though?"

"I got him out by giving Dent the only thing he really wanted. Me. Fortunately, Dent hadn't been tortur…" He bit off the word and started again. "Dent hadn't had Robin for very long; the boy could still walk and I made sure he left that house," Batman worked to steady his breathing, the memories haunting him. This lasso-thing was rough…he began to feel sympathy for the evil-doers Diana roped with the thing.

Diana leaned in and whispered in Batman's ear. "Do you want to stop? I can untie you."

Batman shook his head and said roughly. "No. I've committed to this. We finish." Diana nodded and took her prior position.

"How did you get Dent to release Robin?" Judge Naylor interjected curiously.

Batman reached into his utility belt and brought out a two headed coin and handed it to Baker, who gave it to the judge. "I had insurance. Harvey Dent relies on the flip of a coin to make his decisions. If the marred side lands up, the result is negative. I had a duplicate made, weighted toward the clean side. When Dent was deciding whether or not to release Robin, I persuaded him to let me flip for it and switched the coins." Judge Naylor examined the coin with interest and looked impressed. He handed it back to Batman, who tucked it back into his utility belt.

"How did you get out?" Baker asked.

"Robin is well trained, as I said. He gave himself first aid in the batmobile, suited up and tossed some smoke pellets into the house. The diversion gave me a chance to mop up Two-Face and his men."

"Where did you and Robin go after that?"

"I took him to Leslie Thompkins for treatment, then I took him home. He slept all that day and most of the day after, poor kid," Batman said.

"As you know, CPS is alleging that you have been criminally negligent by putting Robin into extreme danger, especially with reference to the Dent case. I'd like to ask you a few questions about the incident with Harvey Dent," Baker said.

Batman stiffened. "All right," he said finally.

"Why did you order Robin to stay off the case?"

"He'd only dealt with minor criminals, the less violent ones. I've known Harvey for years and expect the extremes from him. He's an insane serial killer. Because of that you can never predict him, only react to him. I didn't think that Robin was ready for that kind of situation and knew it would take all of my concentration to deal with Dent."

"When you saw Robin there on that rooftop, what was your reaction?"

"I think that 'oh shit' pretty much covers it," Batman murmured. "I was concerned, very concerned. Then they clubbed me and I was out. The first thing I heard when I woke up was Robin's voice. Dent was trying to make him play the game…" He shook his head. "Robin didn't know. He couldn't know; he'd never been up against Two-Face before. I tried to warn him…"

"But he played anyway?"

Batman nodded. "And Two-Face played him. There wasn't a damned thing I could do. They had me tied up and the ropes wouldn't break. Then Dent took off the bag covering my head and…" he looked away, gathering himself. "Dent had it all planned and ready, probably from the moment he had us both. I felt so damned helpless. I knew.." he paused, his breath gone ragged. "I knew that I was going to watch another loved one die in front of me. At least with my parents it was a quick death.. By the time I got loose, the bat was covered in blood. In my child's blood." Batman looked up and Baker caught sight of tears streaming down the man's cheeks. He drew a breath. "Goddamn it, Robin was so young…to face such evil…and I couldn't help him." He curled his hands into fists. "I was almost too late. Dent was going to give him a head blow to finish him off but the ropes finally gave way. I could have pounded Dent into the floor. God, how I wanted to. But Robin was still alive. He needed me more than I needed revenge for what they'd done to him…" He turned toward Baker, his face in a snarl. "I put them down like the jackals they were but I didn't kill them. Oh, no, they'll be in prison a long long time…"

"What did you do then?"

"I picked Robin up; he was still breathing. Tried...tried to comfort him but he was unconscious. He was so small; so light in my arms…Wrapped him in his cape to prevent shock and took him to the batcave for treatment. It…it wasn't near enough, so I took him to Leslie. She's trustworthy and a good doctor as well."

"I understand that you took forensic photos of Robin while he was at Dr. Thompkins'?"

"No, someone else... did that. I couldn't do it or I'd have fallen apart." He gave a short laugh. "I couldn't even stand to see Robin's injuries while Leslie was examining him, though the image is still emblazoned on my mind. No, I left to see Captain Gordon, to make sure that Dent and his men had been taken into custody. The bat-signal was up, so I figured that was what he wanted to discuss."

"I know that Robin had nightmares after the attack. Did you?"

"Yes. He paused. "I still have them."

"Is there anything you regret about your actions regarding Dent's attack on Robin?"

Batman looked up at Baker, pain in every feature. "I regret…not keeping him safe, not realizing that he was going to disobey me. I should have kept a closer eye on him. And afterward, when he was on the mend from the attack, anxious to go out as Robin again, I..I blamed him for disobeying me. I told him that I'd been a fool to recruit so young a partner and that he was fired. I told him that Robin was done."

"Wasn't that the responsible, adult thing to do?" Baker asked.

"Not for this boy," Batman replied softly. "I broke his heart. I broke him, because I felt responsible for what happened. I even blamed him for the judge's death…Robin felt that he had no home…I never told him that I consider him my son whether he is Robin or not…I wasn't surprised when Robin disappeared shortly after he had recovered from his injuries. He'd run away and I'd taught him well enough that even I couldn't find him. I didn't admit to Alf..anyone just how worried I was."

"Why not call the police?"

"And end up just where I am today? Robin's location known? Me virtually powerless to protect him? I could only hope that if I didn't know where he was, neither did the Joker or Two-Face."

"What is this boy to you?"

"He's not a blood relation but he's my son in all the ways that matter." Batman looked as if he'd like to hesitate, but the lasso forced him on. "He's my heart, my family. I…l…love him. I'll protect him with my dying breath." Batman's hands tightened on the arms of the chair.

"Do you want him?" Baker asked.

"Would I go through all this if I didn't? My God, if I hadn't been shadowing him since CPS took him, he'd be dead three times over! Of course I want him. He's my son!"


	24. Broken Bat

CHAPTER 23

"I have no more questions," Baker said and sat down. Batman looked ragged and tired-out, but still sat upright in his chair.

Elsa Morrison, got up from her table and approached Batman.

CROSS EXAMINATION OF BATMAN

"I understand, Batman, that secrecy is vital to you," Morrison began.

"Yes," Batman said warily. "It ensures that Robin and I can lead private lives in safety."

"But, I understand that you prefer not to patronize hospitals, even when you or Robin is severely injured," the prosecutor said. "I have here all of Robin's hospital records," she removed two sheets. "Both are emergency room visits within the past two and a half years. One is for..." she read the paper. "Gunshot wound to the thigh-Robin's" and the other is for 'anaphylactic shock due to fear gas allergy'. Are those injuries that Robin has had in the past two years?"

"Yes," Batman said, voice low.

"And you took him to Leslie Thompkins after the emergency room for the allergic reaction. But I see that Robin didn't stay overnight for the gunshot wound-not even a follow up visit. Did Leslie ever see him after this hospital visit?"

"No," Batman forced out. "We treated him at home. He already had an antibiotic that the hospital had given him as well as the transfusion. All he needed was rest."

"Physical therapy was at home?"

"Yes."

"Batman, after Harvey Dent attacked Robin, would it be fair to say that the boy was near death?"

"Yes," Batman's voice was almost inaudible.

"And yet you chose to take him to a ghetto clinic instead of a modern trauma center." Morrison looked down her nose at Batman.

"Yes," he said firmly.

"Is it that you can't afford treatment for Robin at a trauma center?"

"No. I can afford it," Batman said, gritting his teeth.

"Then, the secrecy was the reason you chose Leslie Thompkins?"

"In...part..." Batman grated out. "She is also a very fine doctor who knows Robin. She is his pediatrician."

"Did Leslie want to treat Robin after Dent's attack?" Morrison asked softly.

"She did treat him," Batman stuttered against the lasso.

"That's not the question. Did Leslie seem unwilling to treat Robin?"

"Y..yes. She recommended I take him to an emergency room," Batman stifled the urge to tear that damned lasso off…

"But you chose to leave Robin in her care despite the fact that she has no MRI facilities, no CT scan, no ultra-sound, her X-ray machine is ten years old, she has no banked blood and no nurses working after 5:00 p.m.?"

"Yes, as I said, she is a fine physician," Batman repeated.

"And I imagine that she understands secrets. Does Leslie know any of your secrets?" Morrison eyed Batman as a snake examines dinner…

"I refuse to answer that," Batman said with relief. This question fell within Wonder Woman's exclusion.

"All right, Batman, let's talk about Robin as your partner. He was nine years old when he first hit the streets?"

"Nine and a half."

"And in large part, the reason you chose to give him the identity of 'Robin' was to help him gain closure in his family's death?"

"Yes."

"Now that he's eleven, I presume he has achieved closure?"

"We caught his family's killer, yes," Batman shifted in his chair.

"Despite that, you continue exposing Robin to the dangers of your chosen profession?"

"Y..yes. But I'm there too, to protect him." Batman gave her the frown that made the Joker quail.

"And yet, as Harvey Dent has proven, you can't always protect him. Isn't that true?" Morrison's voice was pure velvet.

"Th...tha...that's correct," Batman spat out unwillingly.

"Has Robin had any other injuries that are more serious than those inflicted on him by Harvey Dent?"

"No. This was the worst."

"I assume that Robin goes to school?"

"Yes, he currently does. Before, he was homeschooled."

"You had mentioned to Mrs. Henderson that Robin is currently in the fifth grade?"

"Yes."

"Are his grades affected by his work as Robin?" She smiled.

"Actually, no. If Robin has pressing homework, he stays home to work on it. He's at the top of his class."

"Robin is 11 years old?"

"Yes."

"How much school has he missed due to injury?"

"I'm not sure. Probably about ten days in the past two years. Remember, he was homeschooled for a long time."

"Because he is Robin, does he miss after school activities?"

Batman cracked a half smile. "He may be short, but he made it onto the basketball team. He's small but fast."

"Let's talk about Robin's training and expertise. Before the Dent incident, Robin regularly went on patrol with you?"

"Yes."

"You didn't bench or fire him before the Dent incident?"

"No."

"So, Robin would reasonably expect to be included in any case you chose to investigate?"

"Yes."

"And you chose which criminals you pursued?"

"Yes, although Captain Gordon often will ask for my skills on one case or another."

"But you are essentially a volunteer, aren't you? You aren't an employee of the GCPD?"

"That's right."

"So, you were under no obligation to go after Harvey Dent. You could have chosen to refuse the case?"

"Yes, I could have. But Gordon knew I'd take it. We've both known Harvey for a long time."

"But you didn't choose to leave the case, even though you now had a nine and a half year old partner. You agreed to go after Dent."

"Yes." Batman clearly didn't like where this was going, but he was compelled to answer the questions by the lasso.

"So, after training this boy to become your partner with the expectation that he would participate in your crime-fighting activities, you tried to bench him when the Dent case came up?"

"There was no expectation that he would be involved in all of my cases!"

"From your perspective, maybe. But what did Robin expect? If you had never benched him before, wouldn't he assume that he'd be involved in the Dent case?"

"He was told to sit it out."

"And he flat out disobeyed you!"

"Yes, he disobeyed orders."

"Batman, I would like to talk about Robin's treatment at the hands of Harvey Dent," the prosecutor stopped pacing and focused on Batman. "You are familiar with Harvey Dent's criminal history?"

"Yes," Batman's face grew hard.

"You know that Dent has murdered more than ten people?"

"I'm aware of that," Batman spat out.

"You've said before that you have difficulty seeing the unpleasant results of your lifestyle, in other words, you can't look when Robin is injured. Correct?"

"I suppose I may have said that earlier…."

"Is that correct?"

The lasso pulled. "Yes. I…don't deal well when Robin's injured or in pain."

"Isn't that especially the case when you feel that it's your fault that Robin is injured or in pain?"

"I…" The lasso tugged—hard. "Yes. I…feel….terribly guilty and afraid when he's hurt. The emotion shuts me down and I can't allow that."

"While Dent was beating your nine year old child with a baseball bat, did you look?"

"I...I saw. There's a difference," Batman gritted.

"Did you look away? Try not to see?" She glared at Batman, arms folded over her chest.

"I...I tried to look away," Batman admitted. "It didn't help."

"But you could still hear everything? Maybe smell the blood?"

"I could still...hear...everything that happened."

Vonnie Baker jumped up, seeing that her client was near breaking. "Your honor, this is abusive questioning! I don't see where this line of questioning can accomplish anything of use to the prosecution!"

The prosecutor answered swiftly. "The point that I am trying to make, Your Honor, is that this man is aware of the dangers to this child, but deliberately avoids facing that knowledge. Yet he continues to subject Robin to horrific situations like torture at the hands of Harvey Dent!"

The judge was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "I'll allow this line of questioning."

Baker nodded glumly and sat down. The prosecutor moved in again on Batman, who looked at her warily.

"So you could hear every blow? Look at me, Batman..." Morrison moved in for the kill.

Batman turned his face toward the prosecutor, eyes blazing.

"Yes...I did..."

"Did Robin cry out while he was being beaten?"

"Yes." Batman shifted in his chair, trying to fight down the compulsion to answer the questions.

"Did Robin call for your help?"

"He...he knew I was tied up..." Batman shuddered, leaning away from the prosecutor.

"Did Robin communicate with you at all during the attack?"

"Yes." Batman shut his eyes and fought the lasso. "He..reached out to me and was...bludgeoned down..."

"And during all this time, you were doing what?"

"I was pouring acid over my wrists to try and get the damned ropes off!" Batman snarled, agony in every line of his body. "I heard everything, saw everything and knew it was all my fault if that boy died!"

"Afterwards, you didn't even take Robin to an emergency room. After a delay you took him to a ghetto clinic for treatment. And even then, you couldn't force yourself to look at his wounds?"

Batman's jaw worked but he was silent, face streaming.

"And, knowing all this, having seen and heard **all**of this, you still put Robin back into that costume to fight crime in Gotham?" She faced him with blazing eyes.

"Yes," Batman's voice was muffled, face turned to the floor. 

During the proceedings, nobody had heard the soft sound of the courtroom door opening or the quiet pad of feet making their way down the aisle toward the witness stand. Even Batman was startled when a small figure in a yellow cape with right arm in a cast, rushed to the front with razor-sharp batarang in hand and forcibly pulled the lasso out of Wonder Woman's grip.

"Let go of him! What are you doing to Batman?" Robin cried, moving swiftly to remove the lasso from his partner. He gave Wonder Woman a reproachful look. "How can you do that to him? Let him go!"

Robin placed himself between Batman and the prosecutor and judge. Holding a threatening stance, Robin faced down Judge Naylor, eyes cold with intent. "What have you done to him?" He spared a glance over his shoulder to quickly examine his mentor, looking for injuries or bleeding. Finding none, he looked confused but didn't relax. "C'mon Batman, we're leaving." Robin gestured toward his mentor with the hand that held the coiled lasso.

Batman stood, smiled proudly at the boy and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, Robin. I'm fine, although I do appreciate you rescuing me."

Robin didn't move, although he smiled uncertainly back at Batman. "That prosecutor-lady wants to make you look bad, so they'll take me away from you." Robin glanced scornfully at the lawyers and judge. "And nobody's ever bothered to ask me what I want."


	25. A Robin's Distress

CHAPTER 24

Judge Naylor stood up slowly. "That's an oversight that we can correct. Um…Batman…If you would…" the Judge nodded toward the shiny batarang still in Robin's hand. Fighting the impulse to make the Judge ask Robin directly to put the weapon away, Batman leaned in and whispered into his ward's ear, "It's okay, Robin. You can put the batarang away. I think you're making them nervous."

Robin's angry expression remained but he slowly sheathed the batarang. "You aren't going to tie Batman up again, are you?"

"I…think that perhaps it's time to break for lunch," Wonder Woman suggested.

Robin scowled at her. "No. I won't go with Ms. Thornton again. I want to talk to the judge."

Judge Naylor shrugged. "All right then. I'll meet with Robin in my chambers while the rest of you go to lunch. Ah, no, Batman," he said as Batman made to follow Robin. "I think this should be a private conversation. Just Robin and I. All of you, come back in an hour and a half. That should give us enough time. Oh, and Robin," Judge Naylor looked at the young crime-fighter. "Leave your weapons with Batman, just for my peace of mind."

The prosecutor, attorneys and court staff watched with wide eyes as Robin took off his utility belt and handed it to Batman, then gradually removed a small pile of various weaponry from pockets, seams, boots and gauntlets in his costume. When the final explosive and pocket knife dropped into Batman's hands, Robin held out his arms outstretched. "Okay, that's it."

Batman smiled at the expressions of the court staff. "All right, Robin. I'll give it back to you when I get back. See you later." He turned and, with Wonder Woman, left the court room, followed by the two attorneys and the court staff.

* * *

><p>"Ahem…okay, Robin, let's go into my chambers," Judge Naylor said, opening a wooden door behind the bench. He followed Robin in and closed the door behind them. Robin looked around himself with interest. It was a large, high-ceilinged room with walls covered with books. A big walnut desk sat in front of the window, with two cushioned leather chairs facing it. The desk was covered with stacks of files on both sides with a narrow cleared surface in the middle. "Why don't you sit down," the judge said, taking off his robe and hanging it on the coat hanger next to the door. He was wearing a business suit under the robe.<p>

Robin climbed into the leather chair and tried to get comfortable. The judge sat in the other leather chair and not behind the desk as he'd expected.

"So, nobody has asked you what you want, yet? Well, I'd like to know," Judge Naylor said.

Abruptly, Robin realized where he was and who he was talking to and found himself speechless. "Um…."

The judge smiled. "It's okay. I get that a lot. Don't let all this get to you. I've got twin sons about your age. Tell you what, let's start this simply. You're eleven years old and you've been living with Batman since you were nine?"

"Yeah," Robin gulped. "Since my parents died."

"Why don't you tell me what you can about that?"

"My Mom and Dad were murdered by a gangster and…and I was there. I saw it and Zu…the gangster knew I was a witness. I didn't have any family to go to so B..Batman took me in," Robin's face took on a sad, lost look as he talked about his family.

"Whose idea was it for you to become Robin?" the Judge watched his young charge carefully.

"Both of us, really. I wanted to find my parents' killer and I'd have done it on my own if I had to. Batman offered me a better way to do it. He trained me in martial arts, forensics, logic, the law…We finally caught the gangster in the end and he's in prison. I've been his partner ever since," Robin said, the sadness not quite fading from his face.

"And you live with Batman?" Naylor asked.

"Yes. He's kinda like a Dad to me. He's been really great," Robin said with enthusiasm. "It doesn't make up for my parents' dying, but he tries."

"So he treats you like a son?" The judge asked, watching closely.

"Either a son or a little brother, I'm not sure if he knows which. But we do normal family stuff, go to ball games, he goes to my school activities when he can. He…um…has his own business that takes a lot of his time; besides being Batman, that is," Robin moved uncomfortably a bit. Judge Naylor noted that. The child looked like a naturally truthful boy. Probably uncomfortable with secrecy.

"The CPS nurse thought that there was too much secrecy in your life. What do you think?"

"I don't much like having to be so secret, but I know why Batman insists on it. Especially after this week…" Robin met the judge's gaze directly. "When they don't know where you are, you're safe. Doing what we do, that's important. See this?" he held up his left arm. "They paid the guards to open my bedroom door at the Youth Center. I was asleep when they attacked me; I'm lucky I got away with seventeen stitches. And this," he held up his casted right arm, wincing a bit. "Two-Face didn't have to know where I was, because my foster-father did and was glad to give me up." The sadness was in his face again. "I've been all alone since Ms. Barry took me away from Batman. With a big, fat, juicy target on my back."

"But it's so dangerous being Robin," Judge Naylor said. "Aren't you scared?"

Robin sighed. "I've been more scared in the week I've been in foster care than in two years with Batman. Don't you get it? When I'm with Batman, no matter how bad it gets, I know that as long as Batman is there, I'm not alone. Sure, I'm scared, but I know he has my back. Just like I've got his."

Judge Naylor leaned forward a bit. "The incident with Harvey Dent worries me, Robin. You're very young and don't know the world very well. What happened to you was very bad and the fact that it was your relationship with Batman that put you into that position, doesn't speak well of him."

Robin looked at the judge with a face wild with grief. "Doesn't love count for anything? When…after Two-Face beat me up, Batman sat by my bedside every night…every night for a month because I kept having nightmares." Robin scrubbed at his eyes with a gauntleted hand. "He's just spent a week guarding me. I'm just a kid, but I know this…I belong with him, he's my Dad and the only family I've got left. Do you think any of those CPS people care what happens to me? I'm simply another kid in the system, being moved around from stranger to stranger. If…when…I get killed, they'll just say 'oh, how sad' and get along with their lives." He wrapped both arms around his knees and put his head down. "Batman cares if something happens to me. I'm not just a…a…job to him. I'm his _kid!"_

The judge looked troubled. "Batman has argued that if you are left in the foster care system, it's likely that you'll be killed by the criminal element. What do you think about that?"

"That's just common sense," Robin snorted. "I've been there a week and so far I've been targeted what? Four times? no, five if you count lunch time yesterday. There's only one safe place for me, and that's by Batman's side! And besides, Batman needs me."

"Your welfare may require other plans for you," the Judge replied with raised eyebrows.

Robin frowned deeply, looking much like his mentor when angry. "My welfare? What about Batman's welfare? You know what'll happen if I go back to the CPS? Batman's gonna get himself killed trying to save me from some criminal wanting the bounty on me. He's already in bad shape after just this week. I won't let you hurt him anymore."

"You're worried about Batman's safety?" Judge Naylor leaned back in his chair.

"That's my job," Robin explained. "I watch his back. And besides…" His voice trailed off.

"And besides?" Naylor asked.

"I…I don't want to lose him," Robin said softly. "I owe him a lot. I've got a home with him. He loves me…" He blushed and looked down, embarrassed.

"I have to put you in the best place for you, not for Batman," Naylor said quietly. "The prosecutor and Ms. Thornton have raised some good points. You're in danger almost constantly with Batman."

Robin sighed and tucked his knees in tighter. "I'm in constant danger when I'm in their foster homes. Hector and Josh told me all about the system; it's the law of the jungle in there and they're right. In foster care, I'm just a little kid surrounded by tigers."

Judge Naylor was silent a moment. "I'm sorry, Robin, but it's just not safe…" When Robin was about to protest, he raised a hand. "I'm sorry, son, but I'm leaning towards finding you some other situation, although my mind isn't made up yet. Now that I've had a chance to talk to you, I know what your preferences are. We usually close the hearing by letting the two attorneys each make an oral argument, then I withdraw and consider all the evidence and decide whether you should continue as a ward of the County and be released for potential adoption by a suitable family."

At the word 'adoption', Robin's eyebrows drew in and he suddenly looked like his mentor at his angriest. "Judge, I can promise you this. If you take me away from Batman, nothing you or anyone can do will keep me in the Youth Center. You'll be sorry you ever met me and you'll never be able to find me if I choose to disappear."

Judge Naylor was startled at the fierceness of the boy's tone and his adult demeanor. When this kid said it, it wasn't a threat, it was a promise.

* * *

><p>At lunch, Batman moodily sat at the table and sipped his bottled water while Wonder Woman toyed with a salad. "A penny for your thoughts, Batman," she said, trying to be cheerful. The testimony with the lasso had not gone as well as she'd hoped.<p>

"I'm going to lose him," Batman said in a low growl. "They won't let me anywhere near him because I'm so unsuitable a parent."

"We don't know that yet," Wonder Woman pushed the salad away and concentrated on her friend. "And if the decision goes against you, there's always the chance of an appeal. The League won't tolerate the way you're being treated. There's too much at stake, here."

"I doubt that the League is up in arms because of my personal life," Batman commented dryly. "There's undoubtedly the larger issue."

"Does it matter? You'll still benefit from the League's support. Yes, we need to train a rising generation of heroes to take over when we retire. But there's also the civil rights aspect of this, the right to have and raise children in your own way, what was it? The Yoder case," Wonder Woman tapped the table with an immaculately groomed nail.

"Yes, but we aren't Amish, trying to keep our kids peacefully down on the farm," Batman replied.

"No," she frowned. "We're training our children to defend the planet against invaders and super-criminals. That should be of primary importance to the governments of the Earth. We are too few and we lose more every year to the criminal element. We have to be able to recruit and train protégés without being labeled negligent parents. And not only that," she smiled at Batman. "But the League needs you at full speed, not distracted with petty attacks like this."

"This attack was anything but petty," Batman murmured. "More like a death-blow, I'd say. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that there was something else behind it." He stretched his arms. "But no, it's just one man's ill-directed determination to save Robin from a lifestyle he didn't understand."

"Oh, you found out that Judge Simmons sparked this whole thing? Not from Gotham, is he?" Wonder Woman finished her fruit juice.

"No. His city doesn't have costumed heroes, so he doesn't understand," Batman capped his empty water bottle. "We'd better go back and see how Robin's doing."

* * *

><p>Batman and Wonder Woman arrived a bit before the lawyers did. They found a tense-looking Robin seated at the defense counsel table. Batman sat down on one side of the boy, while Wonder Woman took the chair on the other side.<p>

"What's wrong, Robin?" Batman asked.

Robin looked at him, eyes stony. "I explained to the judge that I want to be with you. He listened but I don't think he's going to agree. Batman, he talked about putting me up for adoption with some other family."


	26. A Robin Flown

CHAPTER 25

Batman stood up. "Let's go talk somewhere, Robin," Batman said gently, and led Robin outside the courtroom to a quiet corner of the courthouse hallway.

"Do you know for sure what the judge plans to do?" Batman asked.

"Not for sure," Robin replied. "He said that he was leaning toward adoption for me but that he hadn't made his mind up yet…" Robin looked down at his feet. "I tried to tell him what it's been like this week but I don't think he took me seriously. He thinks I'm in much more danger with you."

Batman reached out and put his hands on his son's shoulders. Robin looked up with a hopeless expression. "I…I just couldn't make him believe me, Batman."

"I know, Robin. I understand. Just remember, we do have an option. It isn't the one either of us wants," Batman said, giving Robin a serious look.

"Stop being Robin?" The boy's face grew harder. "You need a Robin. You need me to keep you safe."

Batman gave him a half-smile. "You know I did manage to survive for a few years before you came along. You can still help by staying in the batcave and doing research, manning the computers…"

"Yeah, rotating the tires on the batmobile," Robin snorted. "I don't think so. One thing for sure, though. I'm not going back into foster care. I'll hit the streets again if I have to.."

"No, you will not 'hit the streets' as you put it," Batman said firmly. "You'd be a target. No, if things don't work out right, come home to the Manor. You can pick up your life as Dick Grayson and just be my son."

"I wish I could be," Dick's eyes started tearing and he angrily brushed it away. "Being a ward is just temporary. When I turn eighteen, then *poof!* I'm nothing to you anymore."

"Doesn't matter to me," Batman said. "Whatever the lawyers call it, you're still my son and nothing this judge does will ever change that, okay?"

As Robin nodded sadly, the courtroom door opened and Wonder Woman leaned out. "They're ready to start, Batman, Robin. You'd better come back in."

Robin, with Batman following, returned to the courtroom. Both attorneys and the judge were in their places. Robin took a seat at the counsel table with Vonnie Baker while Batman eyed the witness stand. Judge Naylor caught the look and gestured toward Ms. Morrison. "Do you have any more questions for this witness?" he asked.

She smirked. "No, Your Honor. I think I've made my point."

The judge nodded and directed his attention to Baker. "Ms. Baker, do you wish to do re-direct with Batman? And do you have any other witnesses?"

Vonnie wrinkled her forehead in thought. She'd already hit the main points with Batman and she didn't see the facts of the case getting any better. If the obvious bond between the man and the boy weren't enough to save the case, then it was sunk anyway.

"No, thank you Your Honor, I'm finished with Batman." Baker looked at Robin, slumped in his seat next to Batman and debated internally. She knew that Judge Naylor was a fair man but he had his biases, one of which was an old-fashioned attitude about family. If, after an hour spent with the judge, Robin didn't feel confident then nothing Baker could do offering Robin as a witness would help. "I have no more witnesses," she said and sat back down at the counsel table.

Judge Naylor glanced over at Morrison. "Ms. Morrison, you had reserved the option to reopen your case at this time. Do you wish to do so?"

Morrison considered. She was well aware of the minor's desire to stay with Batman. What juvenile wouldn't like to be the sidekick of one of the most famous heroes on the planet? The trouble was, Robin might be immature but he projected maturity in his manner. If the kid got killed on the streets with Batman, it wouldn't be because she hadn't done her best. She'd also had the impression that Robin was not happy with his conference with the judge; Naylor must have seen the boy's immaturity. Better not counteract that. She replied, "No, Your Honor, I've called all the witnesses I want."

"All right," said Judge Naylor. "This is the end of the case proper. Counsel, are you ready to give closing arguments?"

"I am, Your Honor," Baker said. "I am also," Morrison said.

"Very well, then, Ms. Baker you may begin…" Naylor ordered.

"Wonder Woman, since you are here representing the amicus curiae, I'll allow you to make your own arguments and invite you to go first."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Wonder Woman said and stood at the table, beginning her argument.

Robin sat quietly in his seat, as was expected of him. He was proud to be part of the rising new generation of heroes, as Wonder Woman described him but questioned whether he'd ever be given the chance. This would have been so much easier if he'd been Superman's son or another Flash, somebody with obvious non-human gifts that needed special training. No, he was just a kid. Talented, to be sure, but it's not a danger to anyone if it isn't trained. He looked into the distance. No, if it isn't trained it just goes away, wasted.

Wonder Woman finished her argument and was thanked by the judge. Batman shook her hand and bade her farewell, as did Robin. He hoped that the judge was listening to what she had to say, but doubted it. He had that feeling in his gut, even though Batman kept insisting he keep an open mind. Something bad was about to happen and he thought he knew what it was.

Now it was Ms. Baker's turn to argue. What she had to say was familiar, that Batman behaved like a father, had cared for Robin like a parent since his parents died, had fed him, clothed him, educated him. Robin couldn't deny any of that and neither did the judge. It was the vigilante thing that stuck in his craw. Somewhere in Judge Naylor's mind was the image of Robin as just a kid, playing baseball, collecting stamps, joining the Boy Scouts. Robin wondered what the judge would do if he knew that by the age of four, Dick had routinely been on the trapeze without a net along with his parents. Pretty dangerous, the judge would have to admit, but still the best part of Dick's life.

Although Ms. Baker was clearly working hard, he didn't think that the judge was going to agree with their side of the case. He was convinced that Robin would be safer in some foster home than with Batman. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He didn't want to give up being Robin. Before, it would have been from a fear of losing his home. Now...it was a fear of losing Bruce. Working together as a team meant spending time together, being a necessary part of Bruce's life. If he had to be an ordinary kid, not involved in the crime fighting, what would he be then? Just the charity circus-kid that Bruce Wayne took in out of pity…Worse yet, he'd never see Bruce, or not much anyway. Between Wayne Industries and Batman, there wasn't much time left in between.

He glanced at Batman, seated next to him and listening intently to Ms. Baker sum up her arguments. That was another worry; he might lose Bruce permanently if he wasn't there to watch out for Batman. True, normally Robin's job was to handle the henchmen or go to the back of the building and get stragglers. But it also meant preventing the blow from behind or the hidden gunman from getting Batman in the back. Instead, at best he'd be stuck at home watching television or worrying with Alfred. If Bruce died, he'd be all alone again. His hands curled into fists on top of his thighs. He had to think of something….

"Thank you, Ms. Baker," Judge Naylor was saying neutrally. "Ms. Morrison, you may begin your closing argument."

Robin could see Batman tensing as Ms. Morrison began recounting all of Batman's faults as a parent. She went over the Two-Face thing again and all the injuries Robin had suffered since he'd been in CPS' custody. They just didn't' get it! Robin shook his head slowly. The fault there had been with CPS and not Batman. As Morrison moved into her contention that Batman was just plain feckless where Robin was concerned, Robin could feel his anger building. She had no right to slander Batman like that.

As he watched, he could see Judge Naylor nodding at the points Ms. Morrison made. Batman had trained him to understand human body language, and Judge Naylor's said that he agreed with everything the prosecutor said. This was not going well, not well at all. He knew what Batman would do, of course. Batman respected the law and would do his best to obey it. Fortunately Robin was just a little half-civilized gypsy circus kid with little respect for the niceties of law.

"Thank you, Ms. Morrison," Judge Naylor said and checked his watch. "It looks like this is it for the day. I'll consider your evidence and the closing arguments and give you my decision tomorrow. In the meantime," Judge Naylor looked over the bench at Robin through narrowed eyes. "We need to dispose of Young Robin for the night."

"I can take him home," Batman said calmly, although Robin could hear the hope in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Batman, but I don't think that would be appropriate," Naylor replied. "Ms. Thornton, can you find a spot for him in the Gotham Youth Center for tonight?"

Both Robin and Batman's faces fell at the thought. Another night in that hell-hole.

"Of course I can, Your Honor," Ms. Thornton said cheerfully. "Come on, Robin," she said, standing and holding out her hand. "Let's go."

Robin looked uncomfortably at Thornton, then at Batman and the judge. "Uh…I'd like to use the bathroom before we go. If it's okay?"

"Of course. Ms. Thornton will wait outside and escort you to the GYC afterward. No funny business, understood?"

"Y..yes sir," Robin gave him his patented innocent look, then moved hastily towards the men's room. Once inside, he turned the faucet on and, studying the window, it was the work of a moment to cut the chicken wire closing it off and slip through. It was too small a space for a grown man, but Robin could handle it easily.

Once through the window, he dropped easily to the ground and began to run as fast as he could. With any luck, he could beat Batman to the manor. They'd figure out this Robin thing, but in any case, Dick Grayson wasn't going to spend another night in foster care!

Mrs. Thornton waited patiently but when the sound of the tap didn't stop and the boy didn't come out, the pounded on the door. "Robin! Robin come out of there!" When there was no response, she opened the door and found the room empty. Furious, she huffed out to the courtroom where Batman and the judge stood talking quietly.

"Ms. Thornton, what's wrong?" Batman asked, eyebrow raised.

"That boy, that's what's wrong!" Thornton huffed. "He went out the window! If you've put him up to this, Batman I swear I'll have your hide!"

"Nothing I put him up to," Batman said with quiet amusement. "I don't think he likes your Youth Center." He walked forward and inspected the bathroom and found it empty, then went outside the building. "Robin! Robin, where are you?"

Unexpectedly, Robin didn't come out from hiding when Batman called. Feeling a bit less amused, he went over and checked the Batmobile. Robin wasn't inside the car, not in the trunk and hadn't left a message or taken any supplies. He activated his transmitter and called Robin, "Robin, this isn't funny. Come out from wherever you are!" He got nothing but silence and no boy popped out of the bushes or trees. He quickly eyed the tree line and the skyscrapers surrounding the courthouse, as well as the dome of the courthouse itself. No Robin and no jump lines.

Concern overcoming his irritation, Batman went back into the courthouse. "I'm sorry, but I can't find him outside. He must have made his way into town," Batman said to Judge Naylor.

Naylor looked more than irritated, he was furious. "Batman, I promise you, if you've hidden that boy, I'll hold you in contempt of court!"

Batman raised both hands. "Your Honor, I can assure you that whatever happened was Robin's idea and not mine. I'll go home and see if he's arrived there."

"You had better," Naylor fumed. "And you'll be in my courtroom tomorrow morning and every morning thereafter until you turn that child in to CPS. If you fail to do so, I'll hold you in contempt of court and keep you there until you do comply!"

"I'm sure he's simply gone home to avoid another night in the GYC," Batman said soothingly. "I'll let you know," he said and edged toward the batmobile. Batman put the car into gear and sped home as fast as he could. He wasn't concerned, exactly. If Dick had already chosen to give up Robin, Batman couldn't fault him. In any case, he'd find out when he got to the batcave.

He pulled the car into its accustomed parking space and found Alfred already there with a tray of sandwiches and a feather duster, working on the Crays. Batman got out of the car and looked around the cave. It was tidy as usual, but there was no Robin.

"Alfred, when did Robin arrive? Has he gone upstairs already?" Batman asked the butler.

"Master Dick, sir?" Alfred asked, perplexed. "He isn't here. I haven't seen him since I dropped him off at court at noon today, per your instructions."


	27. A Robin Lost

CHAPTER 26

Batman immediately went to the computer to check the tracker in Robin's utility belt. Unlike his communicator, the tracker was still giving out a signal. Grabbing one of Alfred's sandwiches, he jumped into the batmobile and left the batcave.

While he drove, he tried to figure out what might have happened. Robin had run away before, right after Batman had forcibly retired him. The boy had felt that unless he could earn his place as Robin, that he had no home with Bruce. "You don't want a partner, and you don't need a son," his note had said. He'd left a note that time.

There was no note, no message this time. Batman sincerely hoped that he'd made it clear this time that Dick had an absolute right to his home at the manor, whether or not Robin was part of it. Still, maybe he hadn't communicated that well enough and the boy had determined to make it on the streets by himself. Finishing the sandwich, he turned a corner and found himself on the alley where the transmitter said that Robin should be.

The street was deserted. He could see the back doors of various restaurants and businesses, the pavement lined with various dumpsters and trash cans. He parked the car and began walking, looking at the telemetry that should tell him where the transmitter was located. Finally he stopped in front of a battered garbage can and, his heart in his mouth, removed the lid.

Inside lay Robin's cape, boots and utility belt. No other trace of the boy. Carefully, Batman bagged all the items for further examination then did a sweep of the streets surrounding the alley. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw street kids ducking out of the way. This was a popular area with runaways. The scavenging was good in the restaurant dumpsters and the adolescents managed to camp out in the derelict buildings. Drugs were rampant, as were those who preyed on runaway kids. His eyes narrowed. Robin knew about this neighborhood. Would he choose to come here if he considered himself on the run?

Batman searched all night, often rousting children as young as Robin from their sleeping spots, but none of them was his son. By dawn, Batman had to admit defeat. If Robin was on the streets, he was hiding or hidden by someone else. The possibility that he hadn't wanted to consider was glaring him in face. He put through a call to Captain Gordon.

"Jim, have you heard anything lately about Two-Face?" Batman asked, concealing his anxiety behind a calm voice.

"Nothing so far. He's still in the Gotham County jail as of this morning," Gordon replied in a sympathetic tone. "I heard about Robin. So you don't think he's run away?"

"No. At least, it may have started that way, but I don't think so now. He has no reason to run from me and he didn't get home last night. I've been looking for him since last night and haven't found much," Batman glanced at the cape and other of Robin's belongings in the evidence bag on the seat next to him. Robin wouldn't go without shoes unless he had replacements. Or didn't need them. "I'd like to question Dent and his men if possible."

"By all means," Gordon answered. "I'll call ahead and meet you there."

Gordon was as good as his word. The two men were taken to Harvey Dent's solitary cell, to be greeted with a whoop from the criminal. "Bats! How good to see you. I heard that your little bird has flown the coop. Or have his wings been clipped by somebody?" Dent's eyes gleamed with viciousness.

Batman nodded to the jailor to let him into the cell. Gordon remaining outside, leaned casually against the cinderblock wall. "That's just what I want to know," Batman said, advancing on Dent with his fists so tightly curled that his gloves showed tight over the knuckles. "Where do you have him?"

"And why do you think I've got him?" Dent said. "While he's certainly fun to be around, I'm not the one who nabbed him this time. Somebody else has the kid, not me," Dent smiled, the ruined half of his face crinkling. The expression cleared when Batman grasped Dent by the collar and lifted him six inches off the floor.

"Are you sure that none of your thugs took him?" Batman rasped, his face drawn in a wolfish grimace. "As I've said before, Harvey, touch the boy and you deal with me. If you want to do your prison time in a body cast, I can arrange it."

Dent finally looked straight into Batman's eyes, "I don't have him. And I don't know who does. Wish I did," he snarled. "Just so you and I could be even!"

Batman eyed Dent intently for a long minute, then dropped him and gestured to be let out of the cell. With Gordon, Batman stalked out to the front desk, racking his brain for the identity of any crook with a current beef against him or Robin. The trouble was, the list was too long. "Anyone of significance released from prison lately?" he asked Gordon.

Gordon took off his glasses and polished them absently. "No, nobody that I can think of. Penguin, Scarecrow, Joker, Riddler...they're all locked up."

Batman's head came up. "Joker and Scarecrow. The consortium. I'm leaving for Arkham." He paused. "You coming?"

Having ridden in the batmobile before and feared for his life with Batman's driving, Gordon demurred. "I'll meet you there."

Batman flashed him a brief grin. "I've never had a ticket, Jim."

"That's only because you're going too fast for the police to catch you," Gordon grumbled. "We can only get budget approval for American made cars for the force, not what you're driving."

Batman arrived at Arkham first and was halfway to the Joker's cell before Gordon ran puffing up to join him. "You know, if you quit smoking you wouldn't lose your wind like that," Batman remarked.

"The day you give up that cowl, I'll give up cigarettes," Gordon said, wheezing. "Do you really think that the Joker is involved in this?"

"I'll find out," Batman went up to the Joker's cell to find the clown already at the transparent wall, waiting for him.

"So, Batsy, we've been expecting you," the Joker said with a smug laugh. "The word's all over Gotham. Somebody successfully bagged the Bird Boy." He buffed his nails against his coat. "Looks like I'll be paying out the bounty pretty soon; oh, only with proof of death, of course. Don't want to get cheated like last time."

"So, you haven't paid off yet," Batman said icily. "Who's your candidate for prize winner this time?"

The Joker's face glowed with a malicious smile. "Batman, you'll be the first to know, I promise. That's a bit of news I will absolutely delight sharing with you. I will love watching you wonder if maybe you could have saved him…if you'd been just a little bit faster….a little bit smarter…." With a laugh the Joker walked away from the wall and back into his cell, still hooting derisively.

"Think he's telling the truth?" Gordon asked softly.

"Yes. If he had a claim for the bounty, he'd want to shove it in my face," Batman's figure was still and his expression set as he and Gordon walked toward the entrance. "I understand that Judge Naylor has GCPD looking for Robin?"

"Yes," Gordon eyed Batman as they walked. "We haven't found anything yet."

"I have," Batman said. "I found his cape, belt and shoes in a trash can in the alley behind Restaurant Row. No other traces."

Gordon's face drooped. "Not a good area at all. Too many runaways, dealers and pedophiles. No schools or parks for a mile or more. All the sex offenders on the registry live out there."

Batman nodded. "I know. And so does Robin. He wouldn't go there willingly."

"I'll have my men pay extra attention to that neighborhood. If he's there, we'll find him," Gordon patted his suit pocket for his pack of smokes. 

* * *

><p>Robin woke with an aching head and the smell of mildew in his nose. Where on earth was he? He squinted around the floor he lay on and saw only tall wooden walls with catwalks. Far above were dirty windows, many broken. Great. Another warehouse. Gotham, an old seaport town was riddled with abandoned buildings and since the China trade had faded away, most of them were warehouses. How had he gotten there? The last thing he remembered…yeah, he'd climbed out the courthouse window and started to run for home. He'd snuck past the parked cop cars that surrounded the courthouse, quietly laughing at the cops who didn't see him pass.<p>

At the first tall building he'd thrown a jump line and starting 'flying' through town. It had been over a week since he'd had the freedom and even a broken arm couldn't stop him. Eventually, he'd hit the restaurant district and had stopped to take his bearings, but quickly. Standing there, he'd heard a familiar voice, calling. Boone? No, it couldn't be. He and the assassins school were long gone. He had turned, to see Boone running up to him when something hit him from behind. He rubbed the back of his head and found the lump and remembered vaguely being carried somewhere. Here, evidently. He wobbled to his feet, only to discover that he was barefoot. Hard to run if you didn't have shoes. He reached for his transmitter and discovered that his belt was gone too. And his cape. He shivered, the room was cold. Well, shoes or not, he was going to find his way out and call Batman. He stepped carefully toward a battered wooden door at the end of the long room and opened it slowly.

On the other side was a larger room with a cleaner floor, filled with young boys about his age. Each was dressed in a tunic and pants. A man and a boy in the middle of the circle were fighting with escrima sticks. The boy was Boone, his old friend from the assassins' school but the man wasn't Shrike. At least not the Shrike he'd known.

Seeing Robin, the man called a halt to the sparring and approached Robin. "Hello, 'Freddy Loyd', or should I say Robin?" the man said. "Welcome back. We've been waiting for you ever since you betrayed us and were responsible for the death of Shrike." The man smiled. "Still, we're glad to see you again, aren't we boys?" The boys moved to surround Robin, each grinning face full of viciousness as they moved in on him.

"Let's see if he's still as good a fighter as he's rumored to be," Shrike said. "You, Terry and you, Bill, into the ring. Let's see how 'Freddy' defends himself."

Robin found himself being pulled into the ring where the two boys were already warming up. One was short and wiry with dark hair and the taller one was blond and beefy. "That's not fair," shouted Robin. "I'm barefoot and I have a broken arm. If you want a fair match, make them tie their arms behind them!"

"An excellent point," Shrike said. "Boys, hold your right arms and don't use them. This must be a fair match. As for shoes, let's see how Freddy does without them." He backed out of the ring. "And….begin!"

Knowing that he was fighting for his life, Robin immediately went for the smaller of the two and downed him with a running kick to the head. The kid, Bill, went down and didn't move. Okay, one down, now to face the other one. They circled, each measuring the other one up until the other fighter rushed him. As Robin had expected, the other boy used both hands and was more skillful than the first one. Handicapped by his bad arm, Robin could only try to use his left arm and feet as best he could. He tried to use his acrobatics to move fluidly around his opponent, but his right arm wouldn't support his weight. He didn't see the blow coming, from his ineffective right side, hitting him just above the ear. He tried to pick himself up, but the blows kept raining down on him and all that was left was darkness. 

* * *

><p>Batman appeared in Judge Naylor's court per the Judge's order, to explain why Robin hadn't been turned over.<p>

"Well, Batman," asked Naylor from the bench. "Will you turn over the boy?"

"I can't," Batman said flatly, and put the evidence bag down onto the table. "He's gone. He's not a runaway as far as I can tell. Somebody has him. They dumped parts of his uniform in a trash can behind Restaurant Row. The useful parts of his uniform, like shoes and his utility belt." He glared at the judge. "I spent last night looking for him and will spend most of today in the same way."

Batman stalked menacingly toward the bench too quickly for the bailiff to prevent him. Standing in the well, that forbidden space in front of the bench where no one is allowed to approach the judge, Batman looked up at Naylor. "My son has been taken by someone and will probably be killed. I hope you're satisfied." He turned around and stormed out of the courthouse, followed by the judge's shout "You'll be here at 10 a.m. tomorrow and every day Batman until you find that boy and turn him over!"

Batman just stormed through the doors.

He drove back to the batcave and slowly climbed out of the car, evidence bag in one hand. Tonight he'd go over Robin's clothing with a fine toothed comb. Stumbling with exhaustion, Batman sat down at the computer terminal and pulled his cowl off his face. He closed his eyes for just a moment and drifted into a deep sleep.

Alfred came by later to check on the master and found him sound asleep. Knowing better than to disturb him, Alfred tiptoed away.

Hours later, Batman was jerked awake by the sound of a cell phone ringing. The one-way phone he'd given Gordon was ringing. He pulled it out of his belt and answered it, rubbing his eyes. "Batman," he responded.

"Batman, I'm sorry to have to call you like this but you didn't answer the bat-signal," Gordon said tentatively.

"What is it, Jim?" Batman asked, suddenly awake. "What's going on?"

"I'm at Gotham General," Gordon said. "Some patrol cops found a boy about Robin's age in that alley behind Restaurant Row. He's …um…got a head injury and he's in a coma. You need to come in and identify him."

"I'm on my way," Batman said crisply and ran for the batmobile.


	28. Plans

CHAPTER 27

Batman arrived at the hospital in record time. To his surprise, Judge Naylor and Ms. Thornton were standing with Jim Gordon in the emergency room waiting area. Batman's pace slowed as his anger burned. They were the cause of all this; how dare they…. He straightened up and went cold. He'd see this through, no matter what. "Jim, Judge Naylor, Ms. Thornton…What do we know?"

Gordon moved forward and pulled Batman aside. "He was found about an hour ago, dumped in that alley behind Federico's Restaurant. Young, wiry, dark hair, I don't know what eye color, but with a very recent head injury. It's not looking good at the moment, but the doctors say that he could improve with time…Ah, here's the neurologist now…"

A shortish woman with graying hair had appeared in the doorway holding a clipboard. She looked around and made a beeline for Batman. "Hello, Batman, I'm Dr. Carol Nguyen. I understand that this boy may be Robin?"

"Yes," said Batman. "I'd like to see him if I can."

"Of course, come on back. Since I don't know whether you're the next of kin, HIPPAA regulations prevent me from giving you details.." she trailed off at the icy Bat-look.

She opened the door and led him into the treatment room. Batman's attention immediately locked on the small figure on the gurney, currently surrounded by medical workers. He moved forward to the head of the table, gently insinuating himself among the nurses without interrupting their activity and focused on the boy's face. It was bruised and swollen, as though in a fight or several fights over time, making the boy's face look round rather than heart-shaped like Dick's. The hair was dark…but it looked dark brown, not black. He gently turned the boy's face to see it better; his half-open eyes were green, not blue. His build was stockier than Dick's…. It wasn't him.

He carefully backed away and found the doctor. "It isn't Robin," he said with relief. "I don't know who the boy is. What type of clothing was he wearing when admitted?"

"This," the doctor pointed to a pile of clothing scraps. Batman sifted through it. Beige tunic and pants, sneakers… "Thank you. May I take these with me?"

The doctor shrugged. "We've cut them to pieces already, sure, help yourself."

Batman bagged the clothing and left the room. Gordon, Naylor and Thornton approached him in the waiting area. "Well, is it him?" Gordon asked, eyeing the evidence bag Batman carried.

"No, thank god," Batman said. "With your permission I'd like to analyze this boy's clothing and compare it to Robin's. I might be able to hone in on a common location…" He turned to Ms. Thornton. "This boy really is one of yours. Unlike Robin, he probably doesn't have a home."

"Batman, I'm sorry for the…" Naylor began but Batman cut him off, voice implacable.

"What? Grief and worry? Your Honor, I'm just a violent vigilante with a negligent disregard for my son's welfare. Don't be concerned," Batman said and walked away. 

* * *

><p>Robin woke again back in the same room. He almost wondered if Boone and the new Shrike had been a dream but when he sat up he discovered that it was all too real. Boone sat watching him and as soon as Robin noticed him, his former friend got up and went to the door. "He's awake, Shrike!"<p>

Boone backed away from the door as Shrike came in. Robin got himself to his feet and stood waiting. Shrike stopped a good five feet away and looked him over. "You're gimpy but you don't give up. No wonder my predecessor favored you." Shrike's face changed. "I've had instructions about you. The Demon has an interest in Batman and, therefore, you. I'm not allowed to kill you yet. You're staying with us until I get further orders."

"Why is he interested in Batman? And who is the Demon?" Robin asked, not really expecting an answer.

Shrike gave a shrug, folding his arms across his chest. "We belong to the Demon; his orders are our law. What happens to you? You might held hostage for Batman's cooperation or traded to someone else. Or killed. For the time being you'll be kept here. Leave this room and I won't answer for your safety, even to the Demon," with a malicious smile, Shrike left the room. Boone stayed behind, grinning derisively at Robin.

"You're not so bad at fighting, 'Freddy', although I'm better," Boone said. "You managed to fracture Bill's skull, even with bare feet. You've been practicing."

"I fractured his skull?" Robin was aghast. He and Batman always fought to disarm or restrain, not kill. "What'll happen to him?"

"Nothin'. He's probably dead by now. Shrike had us dump him out with the garbage. We don't keep those who don't cut it. You know that; or you used to."

Robin just looked at his former friend. "We never killed our own when I was here before."

"Well, things have changed," Boone said with contempt. "You always were soft. You'd be out there too if the Demon hadn't yelled at Shrike for making you fight at all." Boone's eyes grew hard. "But don't assume that because we used to be friends that I'm gonna help you. I might be the next Shrike if I play my cards right and I'll kill you before you take that away."

"Have you killed anybody yet?" Robin asked. On their last job together, he and Boone had been instructed to murder their target, although they hadn't.

"Of course I have," Boone said proudly. "And if you'd stayed, so would you. But no, you're just little Robin, the 'Boy Wonder'," he sneered. "Boy Flunky is more like it. So does the Bat make you ask permission to wipe your nose or are you allowed to do that on your own yet?"

Robin's fist curled in his green gauntlet but he didn't strike. Boone was taunting him for a reason; probably looking for an excuse to 'defend himself' from Robin's 'attack'. That wasn't going to happen. Robin uncurled his hand and focused on calming down

Robin was kept in the common room all day, so he watched the bouts, although with a guard. Being surrounded by fifteen boys who were healthier than you are made escaping more difficult but not impossible. While Shrike waited for instructions from his own superiors, Robin was fed the same meals and kept the same hours as the students of the vengeance academy. At night, he was locked alone into the other room again. He used the time and privacy to look for exits. He'd tried scaling the walls to the catwalks and out the windows, but they were too smooth and didn't offer toe-holds. The stairs were located in a different room, so no luck there. He reached for the edge of his tunic and found the lock picks sewn into the hem. They were safe enough until he had a chance to use them, but the whole school slept in the training room. He didn't know if he could step lightly enough to get past them. The only thing he could do was the hardest thing of all: watch and wait. 

* * *

><p>The next morning, a bleary-eyed Batman appeared in Naylor's courtroom. The judge had just finished his first calendar of the day and came out from behind the bench to meet Batman.<p>

"Any progress?" Naylor asked, noting Batman's obvious fatigue.

"None. I'm still analyzing the clothing samples, but haven't isolated anything so far." Batman, in turn, observed the judge's manner. "You don't look ready to jail me for contempt yet."

"No," Naylor said with a tinge of embarrassment. "I…ahh…have been going over the evidence submitted by the JLA and that presented by your attorney…Especially those dating from Robin's stay at the Youth Center. I…may have…lost my temper. "

"I see," Batman said neutrally. "Have you found the police reports enlightening?"

"More than I expected them to," Naylor said with discomfort. "The point is, I don't think you're hiding the boy from the system. It's pretty clear that you've respected the law throughout this process, even when it caused you hardship. I've read Gordon's reports as well as the Justice League case reports submitted by Superman documenting your prior history as a vigilante. I believe that I may have formed some preconceptions about you and your lifestyle, mostly based on the media accounts of your adventures. I haven't made up my mind yet about the case, but I realize that I need more information." Judge Naylor paused, looking tremendously embarrassed. "I do try to make the best decision possible for the young people who come before me in court….. If it won't endanger you or your search for Robin, I'd like to ride along with you during your search."

Through the cowl, Naylor could see Batman's eyebrows climb. After a very long moment of contemplation, Batman answered. "I didn't let Robin out with me until he'd been training heavily for six months, and even then he spent a lot of time waiting in the car. Can you defend yourself? Have you ever rappelled?" He eyed Naylor who, at forty, was still in decent shape. "Can you keep up?"

"I was a Navy SEAL when I was in the service," Naylor replied. "I'm not up to your standard and I've been living soft for ten years, but I think I'd be okay."

A trace of amusement crossed Batman's face. "I'll be leaving you in the car a lot. All right, you'll go by Robin's rules. First, you obey my orders immediately and without question. Second, you give me all you have, and then you give me more. Third, I make the rules out there. Understood?"

"Understood," Naylor replied, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.

"For starters, we need to do more work on the clothing samples. What is your court schedule?" Batman asked.

"I've cleared my calendar for the rest of the week," Naylor replied. "Another judge is taking the rest of my cases."

"Good," Batman said. "I need to make a call, excuse me." Batman stepped out of the courtroom and reappeared in a few minutes. "It's all arranged, then. Come on, let's go."

"Uh…right now?" Naylor looked at the Bat with faintly disguised panic.

"If you're serious, yes," Batman waited for a response. Naylor took off his robe and draped it over the bench, then approached Batman.

"All right, I'm ready," Naylor replied.

Batman led him out to the infamous batmobile. Naylor wasn't sure of the make of the car, but it looked expensive and powerful. Batman unlocked the passenger side door remotely and gestured for Naylor to get in. He sat on gingerly on the leather seat and found the seatbelt, a four-point restraint system like those in a jet airplane. He soon found out why he needed it when Batman gunned the engine without regard for local speed laws.

Naylor turned to complain to Batman but found himself facing a small can shooting an aerosol spray in his face. Feeling betrayed and angry he tried to react, but found himself drifting off into oblivion.

"I think he's waking up now," said a deep but familiar voice. Superman?

"Really, Br…Batman, you could at least have warned him before you knocked him out," a woman's voice said with an edge of amusement. Naylor opened his eyes to a beautiful face with long dark hair. Wonder Woman….What?

She helped him with the seatbelt and hauled him out of the car. Naylor found himself inside a huge cavern filled with computer equipment, monitors, and a chemistry lab…?

"Are you feeling better now," Superman asked solicitously as Wonder Woman led him over to a table cluttered with coffee cups and papers. Batman sat at the table's head, looking impassive. "Have a seat, Naylor," the vigilante gestured to a seat next to his while Wonder Woman and Superman took the other two chairs.

Naylor looked around himself wildly. "Where are we?"

Superman smiled. "You're in the famous batcave. You should consider yourself lucky, not many get invited here."

"You did ask to be involved," Batman commented, picking up a map of Gotham City. "We're coordinating a search for Robin. I've developed a plan to flush out whoever has him."

"I…uh…see," Naylor said and, seeing a silver carafe of coffee and an empty cup at his place, picked it up and poured himself some. He was surprised at how good it was, an exotic blend he'd only ever had once. His opinion of Batman went up a notch.

"Surprised that we enjoy the amenities?" Batman said, then pointed to the plate of scones. "I'd recommend you try one of those as well. And now to business…" He spread out the map and began to talk.


	29. Found?

CHAPTER 28

"Since Robin hasn't found his way back to the batcave, we must assume that he's being held by someone. The list of potential abductors is too long to try to investigate them one by one, so I've come up with a plan that will hopefully…encourage…whoever has Robin to give him back forthwith," Batman raised glittering eyes to Superman and Wonder Woman. "This will require cooperation from my Justice League colleagues as well as the Gotham Police Department. Captain Gordon has already confirmed with the Commissioner that we will have full cooperation there."

Wonder Woman looked over the map. "You'll have our help, of course. What do you need from us?"

"In order to get the message to the crime bosses who make these decisions, the word must filter up from below. I propose to make crime, all crime, unprofitable within Gotham City for the immediate and foreseeable future. Gotham City Police Department will increase patrols in all parts of the city but focusing on the those controlled by leading crime bosses. We," he flashed a half-smile at Superman, Batman and Naylor. "Will reinforce that by giving our special attention to those gangs and organizations which have the most to gain by holding Robin. At every arrest, the arresting officer or hero will inform the suspect that the reason for this concentration of force is Robin's abduction. When Robin is returned unharmed, the patrols will return to their normal levels."

"There's something that doesn't sound right in that," Superman mused. "Almost as if you're promising to back off your activities when Robin is given back."

"It may feel like that, but the simple economic fact is that Gotham can't afford intensive crime enforcement, but with your assistance and for a brief period of time, we can make the gangs hurt where it hurts most: financially. That's most likely to bring them to heel in time to do Robin any good," Batman stated. "The new program begins tomorrow. I've divided Gotham into sections. Superman, you take section 'A', Wonder Woman will take 'B', while Naylor and I will take 'C'. We begin at seven tomorrow morning and continue…"

"Yes," Wonder Woman looked at him musingly. "When do we finish?"

Batman gave her a sideways look. "When we get a result." 

* * *

><p>Robin sat in the crowd of boys watching the fighters dueling. He knew that he could do better, or at least he could when his arm was working right. He flexed his right arm and noticed that the twinges were dying back. Good. He'd been with Shrike's group for three nights now and it was almost as if he'd never left.<p>

He blended in better now as well. Yesterday Shrike had wrinkled his nose when he looked at Robin and said, "I didn't know that bats were dirty. You haven't taken a shower since you joined us. Boone, get this skunk an outfit and show him the shower room. He can't join us until he is clean!"

Boone, with a smirk, led Robin to the communal showers. "Okay, 'Freddie', we shower after a workout and every morning. You'll be given clean clothes when you need 'em, just like before. Leave the old rag on the bench." He pointed to a set of wooden benches stacked with towels outside the shower.

"Do I get shoes?" Robin asked, looking at the beige tunic and pants he'd been given.

"What do you take us for? No shoes. Keeps you closer to the dojo," Boone said sharply. "When you're done, throw the towel in the bin and come back to the training room."

Boone took his uniform away while he was in the shower, but that was all right. Robin had hidden the lock picks in his mouth. While he dressed, he slid them into the hem of the new tunic.

Walking softly down the hallway to the common room, he passed the room used as Shrike's office and overheard voices. He stopped and listened carefully.

An older voice was talking on Shrike's computer, "I want to know whether the boy is Batman's get. Send me some of the boy's DNA; he certainly looks promising if he's Batman's blood son. My daughter will be of age in a few years and the Batman interests me as a potential successor…Try to woo the boy into the organization. Whether or not he's a blood relative, he has talent and while we have him, we have Batman under our control…"

Shrike replied, "He's already integrating well; joins in the morning meditation and stretching exercises. I will continue to encourage his participation in the group as you instruct."

Robin slipped past the open door and padded down the hallway to the training room. He didn't have to fight, only be seen to be present for the moment. The conversation gave him a lot to think about. Someone…the Demon?...was evaluating Batman as though he were a prize german shepard or, he smiled, a stallion. The thought he was Batman's blood son? Well, they'd be really disappointed when all they found were Rom genes. He was used to being held as a bargaining chip for Batman's cooperation; it came with the territory. Nice to know they thought Batman had raised him well. Robin tried to look placid as he examined the circuit of the room. He hadn't found a way out yet, at least nothing better than picking the lock on his room and sneaking out. That might be the only option in the end.

"Robin," a voice at his elbow roused him from his brown study. Shrike stood next to him.

"Yeah?" Robin answered, suspicious of Shrike's friendly tone.

"We're going to practice kicks today. Nothing wrong with your feet. Come join us."

Robin's eyes narrowed as he followed Shrike into the center of the room. They'd set up targets for high and low kicks. The trainees would take a run and try a 'kill' shot on the target's neck. Simple enough. He hadn't had any real practice in days. He might as well give it a shot. No way was he being seduced into the League of Assassins again…

* * *

><p>By day three of Batman's plan, the criminal underclass in Gotham City had been reduced into a state of trembling jitters. No money was coming in. No smuggled goods were going out. Protection money was not being paid to extortionists and a disturbing number of small time crooks had been hauled in to jail. Payrolls weren't being met. Each crook had been told just why law enforcement was so focused—return Robin and life goes back to normal.<p>

Word had come in that the Penguin had had a conference with his high ranking flunkies—find the bird and get him back to Batman. Business was bad and getting worse! Two-Face had murdered his second in command for incompetence. The Scarecrow said nothing but six people with no known ties had died from fright in an afternoon. Low level crooks had begun keeping an eye out for the Boy Wonder and high level crooks were offering rewards.

In the batcave, a tired-looking Judge Naylor was huddled over a microscope examining a slide. "What am I supposed to be seeing?" he asked. "Realize that high school chemistry was a long time ago."

"The substance on that slide is taken from the John Doe in Gotham General Hospital's clothing. It's kaolin, a form of clay used in cosmetics and various industrial uses," Batman pointed out. "Now, take a look at this slide. You pulled the sample from Robin's shoes."

Naylor adjusted the microscope and peered through it. "It's identical." He looked up. "So where is there a source for kaolin in Gotham City? No, I'm betting we don't have to look that far, do we Batman? A source for kaolin in the Restaurant Row district…" He left the microphone and walked over to where the Gotham City map was posted. Batman joined him there.

"One of the old warehouses?" Naylor bit a thumbnail. "But there have to be a hundred of them out there. How do you narrow it down?"

"It helps to have a friend who's a Gotham historian," Batman commented. "I've got his book on the Gotham City waterfront. It's pretty dry reading, but gives me an idea of the commodities that each of the old warehouses used to carry. Look at this one…" He opened the book and showed a paragraph to Judge Naylor. Naylor's eyes brightened when he read it. Gotham paint and paper company had used huge quantities of kaolin to provide a glossy finish to paper and to moderate gloss in paint.

"So, when do we go?" he asked. 

* * *

><p>Today it was knives. "Aren't you tired of being moved around, prodded, forced into situations you never made and don't control?" Shrike whispered when he handed the blade to Robin. "For as long as you're second to the Bat, you're nobody in your own right. You're just a kid. But there's more in you than that. Let it out.." Shrike snapped out the last 't' in the word, then gave Robin a little push as he ran forward to the dummy at the end of the room.<p>

Batman didn't encourage knife-play, although they trained in it. It was a…relief…to finally let out some of the frustration, the anger at eternally being cooped up, supervised, treated like a little child by all the adults in his life. Robin had been incarcerated by someone for at least two weeks with no end in sight. He'd been patient, had tried to work within the system because Batman wanted it. He hadn't realized just how angry that made him. With the knife he made quick work of the ballistics gel dummy, feeling the slimy substance ooze out over his hands as he stabbed it in the 'heart'. The gel was supposed to mimic the texture and reaction of real human flesh. This one didn't have bones, but the next one would have a skeleton inside it, Shrike promised…

The days were long and they didn't sleep much. Robin didn't remember that from the old assassins' school he'd been in. The new system was much tougher, more work and harder. He didn't have much time to think, to plan. It occurred to him that they were trying to brainwash him. This was what cults did to new converts: deprive them of sleep, separate them from family and friends, make them part of a new group, a new family. Take over their minds. How long had he been here, anyway? His past was beginning to fade in the eternal today of the dojo. The lights were always on, the people always the same and dressed identically. Even the face he saw in the mirror was the same as the others. He'd discarded his mask since they'd already seen his face as 'Freddy Loyd' when he'd been here before. There didn't seem to be any point in hiding his face. Besides, they weren't interested in Dick Grayson, only in Robin. And Robin was starting to feel comfortable for the first time in a long time.


	30. Home

CHAPTER 29

That night, as usual, Robin was locked into his room and he was anything but sleepy. He'd known for a while that they were trying to seduce him back into the school; their influence had become almost hypnotic. What made it even harder was realizing that this was the first place he'd been even remotely comfortable. That had to end. He had to get out of here while he could still call his mind his own. Tonight was the night, whether or not there was a full complement of boys sleeping in the other room. He'd put it off too long already. Of course he knew why. When he got back to the Manor, it meant the end of Robin the Boy Wonder. They'd never let Bruce keep him if he went out with Batman; if the child welfare people took him again, he might not get away so easily. He had to accept that he was going to have an ordinary life from now on and he wasn't sure he could do that. What was ordinary anyway? He'd grown up in a circus. That was ordinary.

Robin waited until the hour he guessed was just before dawn. He'd already picked the door lock during the hustle and bustle in the other room while the boys were preparing for bed, to disguise the sound of the picks clattering in the lock. Cautiously he opened the door, peered through into the larger room and waited until his eyes adjusted to the dark. When he could see again, he stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

He planned out his path ahead, noting where each boy slept on his mat on the floor. Silently he picked his way through the room, delicately stepping around each sleeping boy. Finally he was at the door and through it. In his haste he forgot to close it quietly but didn't care. As soon has his feet hit the pavement, he was off at a dead run. He heard shouting in the distance and was careful to run a complex pattern through the alleys of the neighborhood. He didn't have his grapple and jump line and regretted it immensely; somehow flying from building to building felt safer than running the streets. When he was sure that he'd left any pursuit behind him, he stopped, panting for breath to take stock.

It took a couple of minutes to figure out where he was, then he recognized Third Street at Main. Batman had made him memorize the street maps of Gotham, and he realized that safety was only two blocks away. He ducked into a side alley, ignoring his bare feet squelching through unknown refuse and ran until he came to the brick wall of an old apartment building. He stopped and counted bricks, let's see…twelve up from the corner and twenty six across. He removed the twenty seventh brick and pulled on the handle folded behind it. The wall opened into a small door. It was narrow, but plenty big for a thin eleven year-old. He squeezed inside and closed the door behind him. Hitting the light switch on the wall next to him, he found himself in a small, closet-sized room. Batman had these spread throughout the City in case they were ever on the run. It looked like this one hadn't been resupplied in over two years—there was no clothing in his size, only in Bruce's and Alfred's. He found a tap and a cup and poured himself a big glass of water, then helped himself to some Army surplus MRE's. Didn't taste good, but it fed him. Then he opened the green trunk in the corner. Stacks of bills were piled neatly inside, divided by denomination from twenties to hundreds. The total in the trunk should be $10,000 in small bills, along with false identification. He didn't need the passports, which had Bruce's face on them anyway. But the money would come in handy. And even better, a grapple and jump line kit. The glove was too big, but he'd work with it. No shoes. Darn.

He took a hundred dollars in twenties and tucked the stack into his pants, then looked over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He slipped through the door and refastened it behind him, putting the brick back as he'd found it. His right arm was still weak, but he could fly one-armed just fine. Controlling his urge to whoop, Robin cast the line to the top of the nearest building and was off. The manor was miles away, but he was in a hurry to get home! 

* * *

><p>"So, when do we go?" Judge Naylor asked Batman.<p>

"We go now," Batman said with a wolfish grin. "Get in the car," he got into the batmobile with Naylor following close behind. Naylor had to admit that riding with the Batman was one long adrenalin rush, the like of which he hadn't experienced since his SEAL days. To his surprise, Batman wasn't what he'd expected either. Where Naylor had anticipated a semi-drunken lout with unshaven face and a propensity to violence, he found instead an educated criminologist whose obsession for detail would put most police departments to shame. During the last several days he'd found Batman frightening criminals as often as he pounded them, often simply talking to them and persuading them to cooperate.

Facing the expected spritz of knock-out spray, Naylor's thought process froze and he found himself asleep until he woke up several minutes later, parked in front of warehouse. He recognized the area, Restaurant Row again.

"Gotham Paint and Paper?" Naylor asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yes, or it used to be," Batman said quietly. "Ah, here they are…I called them while you were sleeping." Superman landed softly and Wonder Woman strolled over to the car. Both looked tired. They'd been working overtime for the past several days keeping the crime rate almost non-existent.

"What's the plan?" Superman asked.

"No escapees," Batman said. "I'll go in the front. Superman, you take the roof. Wonder Woman the back. Naylor, you stay in the car."

Naylor started to protest but was interrupted by Batman. "No, it's for your safety. Also, whichever of us finds Robin will bring him right out to you, then go back inside and help with the cleanup. The batmobile is the safest place to be. Remember my first rule?"

Naylor sighed and sympathized with Robin. "All right, I'll stay here. But keep me posted."

"You know how to use the radio. We'll be in touch." Batman approached the doors while Superman took off and Wonder Woman headed around the building. Working with the Batman was one part excitement and three parts frustration, Naylor decided. The man was obsessed with the safety of his companions and wouldn't be budged when he'd made up his mind. Naylor got more comfortable in the car. He heard the sound of wood breaking and decided that the trio had made contact with whoever was living in the building—then noticed a couple of adolescent boys running out the front door. Naylor picked up the radio. "Batman, I have two juvenile stragglers out front."

"Good. Superman, can you get them?" Batman's voice came over the radio and Naylor saw a blue and red flash sweep by to collect the two juveniles. Then he began to hear conversation over the radio.

Superman's voice. "I found Robin's uniform but not the boy. Uniform is in one piece, no blood."

"No sign of Robin on my end," Wonder Woman's voice came over the radio.

Batman's voice. "No Robin here and I think we have everyone accounted for. Wonder Woman, I have Shrike, would you question him with the lasso? We may not have much time if they've taken Robin somewhere…" 

* * *

><p>"I swear, I don't know where he went," Shrike said under the influence of the lasso. "He got out somehow. We heard the door close and chased after him, but he outran us."<p>

"Why did you take him?" Batman demanded.

"The…the Demon wants him…as a check on you, Batman. If we can make Robin one of us, you'd have to deal…." Shrike began to shake. His eyes turned up in his skull and he collapsed in his chair.

"What on Earth?" Superman said, reaching for the dying man.

"Some kind of conditioning I think," Wonder Woman said, removing the lasso. "His bosses didn't want him giving away secrets. Who is the Demon, I wonder?"

"I've never heard of him," Batman said, frowning. "Have you?" he asked Superman and got a shake of the head in response. 

* * *

><p>Naylor saw the three heroes leaving the building, Batman in the lead.<p>

"If you hear anything, let me know," Batman said. "But for the time being, I think I hear sirens. I'll meet you at the cave in two hours. If Robin's not back by then, we'll need to plan further strategy. Naylor, you're with me. There's more lab work to be done."

Naylor stifled a groan. For the past several days he'd been doing tasks that he assumed were normally done by Robin: washing beakers, preparing slides and annotating the findings into case logs…Yes, he now took Batman's point. A big part of Robin's job was boring routine. Batman got into the car with the boy's uniform in one hand and a half-smile on his face.

"What happened?" Naylor almost shouted. "Where is he?"

"It looks like Robin chose to leave on his own," Batman ran two fingers over the hem of Robin's costume and pulled at a loose thread. "His lock picks are gone. He broke himself out and I'd guess he's on the run." Batman paused, face thoughtful. "It'll take him a while to get to the cave; he doesn't have shoes or transportation. Let's check one place. He may have gone to ground there."

Batman started the car and wrenched the steering wheel around in a bootleggers' turn and sped down the street.

"What about Superman and Wonder Woman?" Naylor asked, gripping the dashboard for dear life.

"They're delivering our assassins to Gotham P.D. They'll meet us at the batcave in an hour or two," Batman replied without ever taking his eyes from the road. He made a sharp turn down an alley and stopped the car in front of a brick wall backing an old apartment house.

Batman got out and Naylor followed while the vigilante visibly counted bricks, so many up and so many to the side. He removed a brick, then swung out a door, turning the light on inside a tiny room. Batman broke into a grin. "He's been here," he pointed to a wrapper and a half-empty cup of water sitting on a counter. He opened a green trunk which, to Naylor's shock, was full of money. "What's that for?" Naylor managed to force out, suddenly wondering whether Batman robbed banks in his spare time.

"Emergencies," Batman replied crisply. "He's taken a hundred dollars. Enough for basic expenses for a short time." He rifled through the rest of the area. "Grapple's missing. He'll have taken to the roofs. It's faster and definitely safer. Batman shaded his eyes and examined the rooftops. Nothing. "Get in the car. I want to check the neighborhoods for him." 

* * *

><p>Robin enjoyed the rush of wind in his face. He hadn't 'flown' in weeks and felt free. The lack of shoes was still bothering him. The sun was up and he guessed it was about eight a.m. He knew of a thrift shop near here that carried kids' clothing. He'd be glad to get out of this ninja-wear. He landed gracefully at the doorway of the store and tucked his grapple into his clothing and went inside.<p>

Half an hour later a young boy left the store and blended in with the early morning crowd. He wore jeans and t-shirt with a light jacket and sneakers. In the bright morning sun he wore some cheap sun glasses and had a baseball cap on his closely cropped head. The rest of the money was stuffed into his jeans pocket and the grapple rode in the small backpack he'd bought. He was just deciding whether or not to stop for breakfast at the corner greasy spoon when he saw a familiar face…no, two familiar faces. Two of Harvey Dent's thugs were handing out leaflets on the street. Robin hunched into his jacket and focused his gaze on the sidewalk as he walked past the two. The hood pushed a flyer at him and he took it, stuffing it into his pocket. When he was safely around the corner, he pulled it out and read it then crumpled it into a ball and tossed it as hard as he could.

The flyer was headed, "Have you seen this boy?" and offered a reward for turning him over to the person at the phone number below. On the flyer was a sketch of Robin, both in costume and as 'Robert'. In all the difficulty of getting away from the assassins, Robin had forgotten that others wanted him too. He had to get out of here. Fast. He rummaged his grappling gun out of the backpack and aimed at the next tall building. He heard a shout as he took off and saw a small crowd of thugs gathering and running toward the building he'd just left.

For the next half hour, Robin kept away from them but just barely. Finally, by virtue of never stopping and pushing himself to his limits, he was able to lose them. By now he was near the Gotham woods and the cave entrance. He shrugged off the backpack on the last rooftop and let himself down the rope to the ground. Then he took off at a run toward the cave.

He climbed trees, scaled fences and slid through rocky openings until he found the cave's back door. Just inside the old metal door he found the flashlight on the shelf. Turning it on, he took the trail that climbed past the area where the bats roosted, covering his mouth to filter out the smell of old guano. Since it was daylight the bats didn't move much or notice him. He passed the dock where the boat was tied up, then ran up the stairs to the platform with the lab and up again to the main floor. He almost called aloud for Batman but remembered his rule—they shared the cave with wild animals and had to respect their habitat. No shouting. Wouldn't help in any case, the batmobile wasn't in its spot. He stood forlornly in the middle of the huge empty room. He didn't know what he'd expected, maybe Bruce and Alfred waiting with clusters of balloons? He laughed and pulled off his jacket, then went over to the costume vault. After Judge Naylor got done with him he might never wear this costume again, but he wasn't going to take it off until they forced it off him!

He dressed as Robin, mask and shoes in place, all armaments where they belonged and sat down in the big chair at the computers to wait for Batman's arrival. 

* * *

><p>The batmobile eased into its usual parking place and came to a stop. Batman opened his door and got out, as did Naylor. Suddenly Batman stilled and put his finger to his lips. "Someone's here," he hissed, stalking forward toward the computer array. The big chair faced the screens.<p>

Batman stealthily eased forward to the chair, batarang in one hand, then swung it around with one hand. Fast asleep in it was a small boy, dressed in a red and green tunic with a yellow cape. As the chair came to a stop, Robin opened his eyes and grinned. "Batman!" he yelled and threw himself into his mentor's arms, hugging him for all he was worth. "I'm home! I'm home! I'm home! I'm not going anywhere ever again! I'll be ordinary, just don't send me back….I'm home!"

He burrowed into the man's arms, his voice softening into low sobbing. Batman knelt on one knee and let him cry himself out. "Feeling better now?" Batman asked softly. Robin nodded and lifted his chin. "You aren't going to send me back, are you?"

Batman tensed and Naylor cleared his throat loudly, uncomfortable at what he'd just witnessed. Robin whirled around and saw the judge standing uncertainly next to the batmobile, then cast accusing eyes at Batman. "You…you aren't going to send me back, are you? He..he wants to put me up for _adoption_…with strangers." He gave Batman a long look of betrayal that cut like a knife. "I thought you wanted me."

"Robin, he's been helping me find you," Batman said quietly. "He's not your enemy. "

"I'm not going," Robin backed away from both men. "I won't go back to a foster home. Like I told you, Judge, if you send me back I won't stay. And if I don't have a place here, I can take care of myself." He looked at Batman. "I've done it before."

"Robin," Batman reached out a hand and slowly walked toward his boy.

Robin looked wildly from man to man, searching for an escape.

"Wait! Robin, don't," Naylor approached the boy. "I told you before that I hadn't made up my mind. And I hadn't. I've had a chance to see Batman in action and get an idea of the life you lead with him. It isn't as bad as I thought." His voice softened and he crouched down, putting himself at Robin's eye level. "It's certainly better than what you'd face back in the foster system. I want you both to be in my courtroom tomorrow at ten a.m. I'll make it official then, but you're staying with Batman, where you belong. I can't break you two up. You need each other; that's pretty obvious."

"Are you telling the truth?" Robin asked, meeting the judge's gaze.

"Do you want to wrap me up with Wonder Woman's lasso to confirm it?" Naylor offered.

"No," Robin said. "I guess I can trust your word." He looked at Batman. "Do you want me? Really?"

Batman gave him a crooked smile. "Yes. I do."

[Author's note: There will be one more chapter to wrap up some loose ends. Thank you all for taking this long ride with me. ]


	31. It's Official and Epilogue

CHAPTER 30

Gotham County Juvenile Court

Department 21, Hon. William Naylor, Presiding

10:00 a.m.

Robin felt a strong sense of déjà vu as he and Batman entered the courtroom. The prosecutor and Ms. Thornton were at their table. Vonnie Baker and Batman were beside him. Even Superman and Wonder Woman sat at the back of the room. What if Judge Naylor had lied? What if he'd changed his mind? Robin shivered at the thought, then felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Batman eyeing him with concern.

"I'll be okay," Robin lied. If this didn't go well, Robin knew what he'd do. If they tried to jail him in the juvenile hall again, he'd go and nobody would see him again. Not even Batman. He'd hit Bruce's nearest money drop and disappear. Not even the world's greatest detective would be able to find him. When the money ran out, he'd get a circus or carnival job. They weren't picky about age or background or how dangerous the life was…

Alfred had made his favorite dinner last night, crab stuffed mushrooms. He'd slept in his own bed, worn his own clothes, even spent time last night finishing some lab work that Batman needed done. Alfred had even walked out to the batmobile to say good-bye to them. He normally never did that except when he was worried about something.

Robin heard a rustling sound and abruptly turned his head to the doorway where Judge Naylor had just entered. Naylor seated himself at the bench and began to talk.

"When this case was first presented to me, I assumed that the issues were simple ones. I was to determine whether the Court's supervision was required to ensure the safety of a dependent minor. Ordinarily I see families in crisis, often parents who are loving but neglect their children or lack the knowledge necessary to care for them adequately. Sometimes I will have a minor child who has been abused by those who profess to love them. And in those cases, the ideal is a loving family life which provides stability for the minor child.

At first glance, this was a clear case of a negligent parent who consistently exposes his minor child to dangers most parents have nightmares about. But as the hearing progressed, it became clear that this was a particularly loving parent whose child was extremely bonded to him. I've learned that in some cases, you can't change an extraordinary family into a milk-toast, white-picket fence fantasy. Having seen Robin's lifestyle at first hand, I agree that it is dangerous but that the danger is lessened by the constant vigilance of Robin's father. The alternative in this case, as evidenced by the various attacks on the boy while housed in CPS' custody, is more dangerous to the boy than his unusual home life. Bearing that in mind, I have determined that it is not appropriate for the Court to take custody of the minor in this instance. Nor do I find by clear and convincing evidence that Batman's conduct has risen to the level where termination of parental rights is appropriate. The petition raised by the Child Protective Services is found to be 'not true' and the matter is concluded."

Robin, listening to the judge as if his life depended on it couldn't understand a word of it. The judge was smiling. He was standing up and coming down to shake hands with Ms. Baker. What did he say? Was it good? Robin looked up and Batman, beside him, was smiling broadly. Well, better get this clarified now. As Judge Naylor reached out to shake Robin's hand, Robin asked, "Does that mean I can stay with Batman and be Robin?"

The judge looked solemnly down at the boy. "Yes. You belong together. But be careful, huh? Sometimes he leaves you in the car for good reason."

Robin frowned. "Okay. I can live with that." And was surprised by the grown-up chuckles he heard around him and blushed with embarrassment.

"I'm glad you can, Robin," Naylor said. "You, of all people, are capable of taking action on your own. Just remember that Batman has your best interests at heart and there's a reason that you need to follow orders."

"Yessir," Robin muttered, trying to hide the rebellion in his soul. Then he caught Batman's amused gaze and it was all right again.

EPILOGUE

As with any case, there were a few loose ends to be tidied up. Batman and Robin paid visits to their most well-known adversaries to emphasize that their partnership had not been dissolved, nor was likely to in the immediate future. Most of the criminals suffered only minor injuries as a result. The various bounties on Robin were quickly withdrawn.

Both Karl Johanssen and Paul Thomas, who had shot and killed a foster child, James Moreno, were murdered in prison. Rumor said that the Joker and various members of the syndicate weren't happy at being cheated when the two collected the bounty on Robin the Boy Wonder but shot the wrong child. As the Joker said, the next time they'd demand proof of death.

A funeral was held for James Moreno, paid for by an anonymous donor. It was attended by James' three sisters, all in the foster care system. Also attending were Batman and Robin and the Henderson family. At Robin's request, the remains of the Robin costume James had worn the night of his death were buried with the boy.

At Robin's insistence, Batman demonstrated his sleight of hand with the weighted two sided coin until the boy could replicate the switch perfectly.

Six months after the court case closed, the Gotham Symphony contacted Gregory Henderson and advised him that he had been selected luthier to the Symphony and was commissioning a harp, two mandolins and and two violins. The Wayne Foundation contacted the Hendersons and advised them that an anonymous donor had set up a scholarship fund for their children.

Tiffany Carter found out that her husband had taken out a substantial life insurance policy before his death. The money enabled her to return to college for her degree and covered her living expenses for the duration. She completed a degree in psychology and now works as a counselor at a women's shelter.

Billy Carter's friend Robin still visits occasionally and taught him back flips and hand stands.

Alice Barry voluntarily quit her post at the Gotham Child Protective Services. She found a spot in a new program, funded by the Wayne Foundation, intended to recruit, train and support new foster parents to ease the chronic overcrowding in the Gotham Foster Care system.

Eighteen months later, ground was broken for the new James Moreno Children's Home. The facility, intended for dependent children, would house foster children not yet in a foster home. The facility would not serve youth felons and known gang members would not be admitted. While not a substitute for a good foster home, the new Home would dramatically ease overcrowding at the Gotham Youth Center. Among other charities, the building was financed by the Wayne Foundation along with generous contributions from Bruce Wayne himself, consistent with his history of taking up charitable causes.

One year later, Harvey Dent was re-tried for the murder of Judge Lawrence Watkins and the attempted murder of Robin. He was found guilty and received a sentence of life in prison. It was said that his conviction was a direct result of Robin's testimony, which was confident and articulate. If Robin had nightmares before testifying, he didn't tell Batman about it.

[Author's Note: Okay, this is it. If you've read the story and liked it, NOW is the time to send me feedback, gosh-darn it! I know that I have 43 alerts and over 13,000 hits, so somebody must have be reading me these past months! Those of you who have been reviewing consistently have my thanks. Your nudges keep me writing and keep me on schedule.

A legal aside—For dramatic effect I have trimmed down the proceedings somewhat but have tried to be as accurate as I could within the limitations of a work of fiction. Prosecutors aren't evil (I used to be one), but often court hands are tied by circumstances. Robin's situation, being housed with juvenile criminals, was a common situation in the 1970's. Things have gradually changed over the years, although in some places it can still happen. Foster parents vary, but then, so do foster children. Lastly, I have recreated the sheer repetitiousness of the average trial in the criminal segment at the beginning of the piece. In most criminal trials, you get bits and pieces of the evidence from the different witness points of view. Each witness adds something to the mix and is offered for a different reason. Half the challenge for a trial attorney is keeping the jury awake. ]


	32. New Story just started

CHAPTER 31.5

Yes, this is the AD for the new story I've just posted: Wall of Death. It takes place in the Young Justice universe but my war is not the same as the Season 2 war. Posted in the Batman site in Comics. Here is the synopsis:

Bruce has always seen his role as a solemn mission, but Dick is a thrill-seeker at heart, which can either make him a great hero...or kill him. This is set in the YJ universe, but my plot is separate from Season 2.

If you're interested, drop by!


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